Maria slipped on her red dress and bent down, looking for her shoes.
"You're leaving?" Kai stirred from his sleep and checked his phone. "It's really early."
"I know, but I have to get home and change clothes before work," she slid into her heels and combed her hair back with her hand, its thick locks falling on her bare shoulders.
Kai threw his feet off the bed and got up. "Why? Didn't you ask for a day off?" He leaned in for a kiss, but she turned, his lips landing on her cheek instead. "Is… something wrong?" He put his hand before his mouth and breathed. "Ah. Morning breath," he wrinkled his nose. "Sorry."
"No, it's—" she forced a smile. "I'm just in a hurry. I couldn't get a day off, so I told them I'd be late." She picked up her purse and made for the exit.
"Okay…" He followed her. "Do you need me to get you a cab, or—"
"No, no, I'm fine," she said dismissively, opened the door, and went out.
"Hey," he grabbed her arm, and she stopped, turning to face him with a tired frown. "We're good, right? Because… if there's something wrong, you can tell me, especially after last night. I think…" He trailed off, letting go of her arm. "Whatever happens, we can deal with it."
With a deep sigh, her shoulders sank, and she lowered her head. "I…" she started, forcing the words out. "I think we should stop seeing each other for a while."
He blinked, processing what he had heard. "Are you… are you breaking up with me?"
"I'm sorry, Kai, but with everything that's going on with your family, your job… It might be better for you to be alone for a while so you can figure things out."
"There's nothing to figure out, my family and I are done!" he said, not quite meaning it but determined to say whatever it took to keep her with him. "I'm not gonna see them anymore, and as for my job… I can find another one, I just need some time—that's all."
"I know, that's what I'm saying. Some time apart will be good for both of us."
"No…" He covered his face. She had twisted his words against him—he had to find a way through. "Say… say that we take a break for a little bit. Can you promise me we'll get back together after that?"
"I don't know. I can't promise—"
"Then, I don't want to take a break. I don't want to stop seeing you…" He reached his hand to touch her cheek. He couldn't be alone again, not after everything he had been through, not after getting this far, after finally gaining all he ever wanted. She couldn't leave him now. He wouldn't survive it. "I need you, Mari," his voice cracked.
She recoiled from his touch, her face contorting with a mix of pity and annoyance. "Please, don't cry again."
The words cut straight to his core, striking his emotions dead, and his body went rigid. He pursed his lips and swallowed the lump rising in his throat.
"It was good while it lasted," she forced a smile. "Really, I'm glad we gave it a shot, but this clearly isn't working, so… it's better to end things here." She took a step back. "Goodbye." Then turned and left, her heels echoing on her way through the hallway.
Slowly, the Oathless closed the door, and in his mind, he left it all outside with her—his hopes and dreams, his fears, his sorrows, and everything else the world had to offer. He closed the door, shutting it all out and closing himself in.
***
"Headmistress Aqwyn, can you hear me?" Vira asked, tapping the bathroom mirror. She was at the public restroom of a remote gas station, miles away from the city, a place where, even if things went wrong, the casualties would be in the single digits—at worst. "Aqwyn?"
"Sister…" The headmistress' voice came before her image had appeared, faded on the mirror's surface. "I hear you, Sister."
"The disasters, the mark—it's a witch's work, and she is using the Oathless to do it!"
"The Oathless?" Aqwyn's brows creased in thought. "I see…"
"I can track her, Headmistress, try to sabotage her work, but if she is capable of conjuring these powerful disasters… I don't think I'll be able to fight her on my own."
"That is a problem…" Aqwyn pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What about the reinforcements? If we strike together, we might be able to defeat her."
"Sorry, Sister, we are still preoccupied, but… there is a chance you could beat her with his help."
"His?" Vira frowned. "You don't mean—"
"Yes, yes, I do."
She shook her head. "Kai isn't ready for that, and even if he were—"
"I understand he isn't ready right now, but if you can make him ready, then he might be exactly what you need.
"This witch uses the Oathless' loneliness and desperation as the primary source of her power. If you can make Kai believe in true love and turn him into someone worthy of it, the power of his conviction should be strong enough to defeat her."
"In theory, maybe, but… what if I can't help him? What if I fail? People's lives are at stake here, Aqwyn. There has to be—"
"Is it really so different from all your previous missions? Your past godchildren?"
Vira lowered her eyes. She had led many noble heroes to fight against monstrous threats, to rescue damsels, and save kingdoms… this shouldn't have been any different. But this Kai we are talking about!
"I know I have been very critical of him in the past, but maybe I was too harsh. Her Majesty wouldn't have picked him if he were a lost cause…" Aqwyn frowned. "Do you have no faith in him?"
The fairy godmother felt a pang of guilt for doubting him so much, but considering all they had been through, maybe that doubt was well-placed. "I do believe that he can find true love…" she said eventually. "But to face this witch in battle… I don't know if he is capable of that."
"Then you are going to have to make him capable." Aqwyn sighed. "I'm afraid you don't have much choice in this, Vira. Until we can rally a squad for reinforcement… Kai Holloway is your only hope."
***
Kai sat on his computer, typing furiously on the keyboard, recounting his experience with Maria in the text box. Once his message was done, he gave it a quick read and—satisfied—posted it to the G.I. forum.
He let out a huff of frustration, feeling only slightly relieved by his venting, then reopened Born to Battle, and continued playing.
Vira flew in through the window to find her godchild's room in disarray—the blanket on the floor, a half-eaten pizza in a box on the bed, and a stack of crushed energy drinks beside the desk.
"Kai?" she said, but he couldn't hear her through his headset. Back to old habits, she thought. Not a good sign. She approached him warily and tapped his shoulder.
He startled in surprise and turned, then relaxed as he recognized her. "Ah, it's you," he took off the headset. "I hope you are happy," he said. "You got what you wanted."
"What happened?"
"Maria broke up with me."
Her face darkened. "Oh, no… Kai, I'm—"
"Please, don't pretend," he sneered. "I know you don't care."
"I do care!" Her wings spread wide in defiance.
"Sure," he scoffed. "Whatever."
"What… what happened between you two?"
"I opened up to her; I was… 'being myself.' My pathetic, damaged, own self…" he scowled. "She fled like a rat from a sinking ship."
Vermallelia squeaked from within her cage.
"No offense," he added.
"Oh, Kai, I'm so sorry."
"You know what's the stupidest thing about this? She told me to open up to her, that she could 'share the burden,' but when I finally did, she dumped me." He shook his head. "I never should have listened to her. I should have kept bottling everything up and dealt with it myself."
"Bottling what up?"
He sighed and began to explain to her what had happened in the past couple of days: the disastrous family dinner, his father's visit to the hospital, and the layoffs at work.
"If I just bottled it all up instead of breaking down and crying like a baby," he lowered his head, "then maybe we would still be together."
"Opening yourself up deeply in front of someone who doesn't know you very well could turn them away—but Maria has been your friend for a long time; she shouldn't have left you like that. Don't you see? You did the right thing. She is the one who is in the wrong. She isn't worthy of true love!"
"It doesn't matter. She has options. There are plenty of guys who'd love to date her, but me?" His shoulders slumped. "I'm worthless."
"That's not true. You've come a long way to get to where you are now, and if you stop feeling sorry for yourself for just a second, you'd see that—"
"Stop feeling sorry for myself?" he scoffed. "Right. I forgot. I'm a man," he got up. "I'm not supposed to cry, or be sad, or have feelings."
"That's not what I—"
"You know what? Forget it. I'm done," he went over to the fridge.
"What do you mean, 'you're done'?"
"I mean, I quit, I give up, I don't care about 'Happily Ever After' anymore," he pulled out a six-pack of beer and walked back over to his desk. "It's about time I accept the truth." He opened a bottle. "I'm going to be alone—forever."
"What are you doing?"
"Getting drunk so you leave me alone."
"Kai!"
"Do yourself a favor, Vira, and go find someone who actually has a shot at finding true love, because that sure as hell isn't me!" He began chugging.
The fairy godmother balled her hands into fists. She considered using her magic to stop him from drinking and prolonging the conversation, trying to convince him that hope wasn't lost, but she knew it would be a waste of time.
He wasn't going to listen. He needed time, and so did she—if she was going to come up with a plan to pull him out of his melancholy.
"Fine, give up if you want," she said as he put down the bottle, half empty. "But know this…" She flew closer, so they were face to face. "I am not giving up on you!"
He looked back at her with jaded, tired eyes. "Whatever," he waved her off and returned to his computer game.