This chapter is a mix of Neuvillette's and 3rd person POV. It doesn't really make much of a difference, I just thought I would inform you anyway.
And...
OMG! We're already at 60k reads! What the hell guys?!
We just reached 50k a few days back!
WOW!
For this, I present you with a new chapter!
Jokes aside, this chapter was honestly painful to write.
You have been warned!
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Neuvillette's POV
"Ah! Monsieur Neuvillette! What can I do for you this evening?"
"Isn't it quite late for you to be out here still, Aeval?" I asked the little one with a smile.
"I have just one more ride to go! I made an appointment with someone back at the harbor." She answered happily.
"If so, then mind if I join you on this ride?"
"It would be my pleasure! Do you have some business in to harbor, Monsieur?"
"No, no. I'm planning on getting off halfway there."
"Halfway-"
Instantly she started frowning.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, I do believe that both Elphane and I have told you multiple times that jumping off Aquabus lines is dangerous." She said in an almost scolding tone.
I couldn't hold back a smile from surfacing.
"And yet you will bring me along anyway, won't you?"
She grumbled a bit longer before eventually starting the Aquabus.
Along the way, she kept talking excitedly.
About her day.
About all the new friends she had made.
"Ah, right! I heard from Veleda that there is a really cute kid in Meropide."
It took all my willpower not to flinch.
"If all goes well he will be joining you for your gathering next month." I managed to say.
"Wow! Really? I've really wanted to meet him since Veleda is just continuously going around telling everyone how cute and innocent that child is and how easy it is to tease him. It's gotten to the point where we all either want to beat Veleda to death or storm fortress and take a look ourselves."
I couldn't help but smile hearing her complaints.
I looked up to realize that we were already approaching my destination.
I was also reminded about something I still had to say.
"Aeval..."
"Yes, Monsieur? Oh, wait! We can call you Dad now, right?"
Her smile was so bright I almost couldn't bear to look.
"Right..."
"Dad! Did you want to tell me something?"
Yes...
Yes, I suppose I do...
"If something were to happen with the Primordial Sea, please call for me."
"Call for you? Will you be gone for long?"
"No, just a little while."
Though, that really depends on who is looking at it.
"Please tell the rest of the girls too. I wouldn't want to have you in danger just because of my matters."
"Alright!" She beamed.
I stood up, standing by the edge of the bus.
"Have fun with your friends, Aeval."
"Good luck handling your matters, Dad!"
She waved as I jumped over from the bus to the edge of the line.
I watched for a while as the bus got farther away before turning towards the sea.
It was then that I heard her shout.
"How long will you be gone?"
"I'm not too sure. At most a century?"
I smiled at her and she smiled back.
Just as the Aquabus was about to leave my sight, I heard another happy shout.
"Be sure to be back by next Sunday, Dad! It's Sedene's birthday!"
Ah...
Perhaps she took my words as a joke.
And...
Birthday...
I suppose I will miss quite a few of those.
I will miss them.
Or perhaps I won't.
I will likely be too far gone to do so.
I stepped towards the edge and allowed myself to fall.
Into the sea.
Into the depths.
Cold water hit my skin as I plunged into the water, sinking deep.
But not yet deep enough.
Furina was right.
At the moment I was a source of danger.
A danger to her.
A danger to Fontaine.
A danger to the girls.
A danger to-
I cut off my line of thought right there.
Stop!
Stop it!
Enough already!
"Neuv. My dear dragon."
That sweet voice echoed inside his head and the dragon inside him roared.
It roared in pain.
Roared for him to return.
To return to his-
No!
His not!
He can't be!
I can't allow it!
I won't allow it!
"Do you consider him your mate?"
"I'm glad that you've finally found yourself a mate, Neuvillette."
"While I still think that he's a dirty-minded pervert, it's fine as long as you're happy, Dad."
"Congratulations, Monsieur Neuvillette."
Voices upon voices.
Words upon words.
And finally...
"Hello, Uncle Wriothesely!"
How happy he had looked at the sudden way of address. A bit stunned, but happy nonetheless.
The dragon inside him roared once again.
Telling him that if he already knows that he was happy, he should return.
But no.
I can't.
I won't.
I can't take it!
I can't even think straight at the thought of losing him.
Not being able to see his smile anymore.
Not hearing his voice again.
"Ugh!"
It hurt him.
It pained him not only mentally, but physically as well.
That pain...
The paint that was the consequence of breaking an eternal promise.
A promise Neuvillette hadn't even known he made.
The pain of a dragon that abandoned his mate.
Abandoned the one he had sworn to be with for the rest of his life.
The only one.
It hurt.
It had been hurting for three days now.
Pain so intense he wished he could die.
That he could just vanish and dissolve.
It felt like his whole being was being ripped to shreds and reassembled, only to be taken apart once again.
His body.
His mind.
His soul.
For the first time in his life, Neuvillette thought it would have been better if he was never born at all.
He had never known the reason for his life.
The truth behind his existence.
And just when his life had found some meaning...
No!
Stop!
Stop it already!
Wriothesely's voice echoed inside his mind.
"Neuv!"
"Neuvillette!"
"My dearest dragon!"
Pictures of his smiles flashing before his eyes.
"Pfft!"
"Hahahaha!"
Even if he closed them, even if he covered his ears...
Please! Stop!
I'm begging you!
I'm begging...
And suddenly, all seemed to fade.
He opened his eyes.
It was dark.
All I could see was the dark and endless sea.
I was still sinking and deep down I knew...
Fonatine's waters weren't so deep.
They weren't so dark.
They weren't so utterly empty.
They were full of light, full of life.
I could feel my consciousness slowly fading.
He could feel his consciousness fading.
And yet, he still caught sight of it.
I then caught sight of it.
The beast lurking deep within the depths.
The beast lurking deep within me.
"It was you, wasn't it? You made the promise."
But the dragon didn't answer.
Slowly, it swam towards him, surrounding his sinking figure.
"It must have been you. I would not have been so impulsive."
The beast that lives within.
One that acts not on conscious thought but rather pure subconscious instinct.
It was a beast that Neuvillette had long learned to suppress.
"And yet here you are... Why are you here, after all..."
Still, the dragon didn't answer.
"What would you do? You would want to return to him, wouldn't you?"
To protect him. To make him happy.
"You can't."
Just stay.
Stay locked in here with me.
Locked away in the endless depths no one will ever find.
Finally, the dragon roared.
It was full of anger, full of pain.
It was a broken cry.
"I'm sorry..."
Suddenly, the body that had curled itself around him disappeared.
Neuvillette opened his eyes one last time to see its fading figure swim away.
Somewhere deep down he knew that he shouldn't allow this.
He knew that he could not allow the beast to surface.
But it was too late.
It was already so far...
And Neuvillette...
He had no more strength...
His eyes finally closed, catching sight of the dragon one last time before even the sight of the dark waters entered his eyes no more.