The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
Augustine of Hippo:
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The battlefield was silent now, save for the low hum of the cosmic winds, a ghostly whisper in the air.
The remnants of destruction lay scattered around them—a world undone—but the weight of the moment felt different.
In the stillness, Yuno's pink eyes never left Amel's, her mind racing to comprehend what had just happened, what he truly was.
And for the first time in millennia, she felt something that completely caught her off guard—something light, delicate, like the softest brush of a feather against her soul.
A sense of freedom, of some kind.
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"So, are you planning to hold me like that forever?" Amel teased, raising an eyebrow as Yuno kept her arms around him.
"Shut up, you ass!" Yuno snapped, quickly letting go, her face flushing a deep pink. For some inexplicable reason, her heart was racing.
She took a steadying breath before glaring at him. "And why are you... bigger now?"
Amel tilted his head, genuinely confused. "Bigger? What are you talking about?"
"I mean, why do you look older? You look like you're... 20 years old now," she said, her voice laced with frustration as she tried to articulate her point.
Amel smirked, the corners of his lips tugging upward mischievously. "Because I don't want internet warriors on my ass."
"What?" Yuno blinked, utterly baffled by his cryptic answer.
"What!" Amel echoed with mock surprise, his expression matching hers for a beat before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Just kidding."
He waved a hand casually, as if dismissing her confusion. "I can manipulate how I look."
To demonstrate, his form began to shift before her very eyes. Within seconds, he transformed into a voluptuous woman with exaggerated features.
"See?" he said, his voice lilting with amusement as he motioned to himself. "I've got bigger bajungas now!" He grabbed his new chest, bouncing it with an over-the-top grin.
Yuno's jaw dropped. She wasn't sure if she should laugh hysterically or begrudgingly whistle in admiration. Damn him. He looked stunning even like this, and it irritated her to no end.
Before she could formulate a response, he shifted back, returning to his original form—a lean, 20-year-old man. "Happy now?" he asked with a smug grin.
Yuno folded her arms, her pink eyes narrowing into a glare. "You're absolutely insufferable."
"And yet, here you are," Amel quipped, his grin widening with a playful edge.
"So..." Amel began, "where do we go from here?"
"I... we should probably get out of here," Yuno replied, her pink eyes flicking to the ruined forest around them.
"And, genius," Amel said with a raised eyebrow, "where do we go after that?"
The forest, once a lush and vibrant haven, was now a barren wasteland of ash and splintered wood.
Amel let out a sigh, his gaze sweeping across the devastation.
The entity that had once governed this place was gone, and with it, any hope of the forest returning to its former glory.
Just then, a faint shimmer caught his attention—a stream of water winding its way through the desolation, its crystalline surface gleaming faintly in the eerie light.
"That's... odd," he murmured, his brows furrowing.
"When I traveled through this forest before, I never saw any streams, ponds, or anything like that."
Turning to Yuno, he asked, his tone tinged with suspicion, "Was there always a pond over there?"
"Yes and no," Yuno replied enigmatically.
Amel blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well," she said with a shrug, her tone matter-of-fact, "it was the entity's doing. Simple as that."
Amel considered this, then nodded, accepting her explanation without further question. "Alright, makes sense."
Yuno stepped closer to the stream, her pink eyes narrowing as she studied its gentle flow.
"We should follow the water," she said, her voice taking on a determined edge. "If luck's on our side, we'll reach the kingdom of Britannia in two or three months."
"Okay," Amel said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But before we get moving, do you want to do anything? Or should I just start the preparations?"
Yuno's gaze lingered on the devastation around them—the charred ground, the shattered trees, and the faint traces of the entity's lingering presence.
Her expression grew somber, her voice quiet as she replied, "Not really... What is there to do anyway?"
Her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of loss.
She looked back at the remnants of their battle—the echoes of destruction that surrounded them like a grim reminder of what they had endured.
There was nothing left here, only the whispers of what once was.
"Alright," Amel said gently, his tone softer now. "Let's get started then."
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The serene forest, once alive with the rustling of leaves and the harmonious chorus of birds, now stood cloaked in a haunting silence.
Mighty trees lay toppled in every direction, their massive roots clawing at the sky, as if wrenched violently from the earth by an unseen hand.
The clearing, once a sanctuary of untouched beauty, had been reduced to a blackened wasteland.
The ground was charred, the air thick with the acrid scent of smoke, and faint tendrils of it still curled skyward into the dimming twilight.
At the center of this devastation stood Amel, motionless and calm.
Beside him, Yuno stared in stunned disbelief, her pink eyes wide, her breath caught in her throat.
She hadn't even fully processed what had just happened—what he had just done.
And then her gaze fell upon it.
Rising from the wreckage like an impossible dream brought to life, there it stood: a machine so fantastical, so utterly bizarre, it seemed to defy the laws of both nature and reason.
The machine towered above them, nearly twice Amel's height.
Its rounded, sleek body gleamed with an almost magical sheen, as though it had been polished to perfection by invisible hands.
Stripes of glowing red and silver wrapped around its surface, faintly pulsing as if alive, catching the last golden light of the setting sun.
The machine featured two seats that jutted out from its otherwise smooth frame—seats that seemed absurdly luxurious, their plush cushions an almost comical contrast to the destruction surrounding them.
At the base, curved fins spread outward like the wings of some mythical beast, their edges sharp and unnervingly precise.
Strange runes, carved into the metallic surface, shimmered faintly, their glow shifting subtly in rhythm with the pulsing stripes.
The entire contraption exuded an energy that felt ancient and otherworldly, yet impossibly advanced.
He had made it.
Amel had conjured it from nothingness.
With nothing more than a casual mention of "preparations," this marvel of chaos and ingenuity had simply appeared.
"Amel..."
Yuno's voice broke the silence, trembling and soft, yet filled with a depth of emotion she couldn't name.
Awe, disbelief, a flicker of fear—all of it mingled in the single word she spoke.
Her gaze darted between him and the impossible machine. Her hands clenched at her sides as if trying to anchor herself to reality.
Yuno turned to see Amel standing a few steps ahead, his Shirt outlined starkly against the desolation.
The chaotic aftermath of their clash stretched out behind him—smoldering debris, scorched earth, and a sky dimmed with ash.
Her pink eyes, wide and unblinking, reflected the scene in their fiery depths.
The glowing symbols within her irises flickered, but this time, their usual playful glimmer was replaced by something else.
Concern. Amazement. And perhaps—though she'd never admit it—a touch of fear.
"Awesome rocket, right?" Amel said, a smug grin curling at the edges of his lips.
"Wha—what the hell is a rocket?" Yuno blurted out, her voice a mix of confusion and irritation.
Amel spun around dramatically, his hands on his hips and mock indignation plastered across his face. "Seriously? You're Dumb Ass telling me you don't know what a rocket is?"
"Fuck you, and no, I don't!" she snapped, crossing her arms with a huff, her pink eyes narrowing.
"Well," Amel began, gesturing grandly at the towering contraption behind him, "that, my dear, is a rocket. A fucking rocket."
Yuno raised an eyebrow, her expression flat. "Still no clue."
Amel let out an exaggerated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose like a frustrated parent dealing with a clueless child.
"Look, once you get inside, it'll all make sense. Trust me."
"Fine," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she stepped closer to the strange machine.
Her boots crunched against the charred ground, each step bringing her nearer to the glowing marvel.
The faintly pulsing runes etched into its metallic surface cast an otherworldly light, their glow catching in the strands of her pink hair.
As she approached, she couldn't help but study the bizarre creation, trying to piece together how something so... absurdly out of place had come to exist.
"You just pulled this thing out of nowhere?" she asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with disbelief.
Amel smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "What can I say? I'm full of awesomeness."
Yuno raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smile. "I agree... so full of shamelessness."
...…
Yuno's pink eyes flicked around the cramped cockpit as she climbed in, her fingers brushing against the smooth metal and the subtle warmth of the glowing runes embedded in the control panel.
She had faced countless strange things in her life—enchanted trees, talking creatures, even the occasional firestorm—but this? This was something entirely beyond her comprehension.
She turned to Amel, who was settling into the seat beside her.
His black hair was slightly tousled, and his face bore that calm, self-assured expression she knew all too well.
His brown eyes sparkled with mischief as he adjusted the straps across his chest.
"Alright, what now?" Yuno asked, her voice betraying a mixture of curiosity and unease.
"Put on the helmet," Amel said, gesturing to the sleek, rune-etched headgear resting on her seat.
Yuno picked up the helmet and placed it over her head.
The instant she did, the faint glow of its enchantments enveloped her, and a soft hum filled her ears.
The world outside seemed to grow quieter, as though time itself had momentarily slowed.
She glanced at Amel, who had already secured his own helmet in place.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, gripping the edges of her seat, her voice tinged with concern.
"Of course," Amel replied with a grin, flipping a series of switches on the control panel. "Probably."
"Probably?!" Yuno's voice cracked as she leaned toward him, her pink eyes wide with disbelief. "What the hell do you mean, 'probably'?!"
Amel chuckled, his fingers gliding effortlessly over the glowing runes. "Relax. I've tested it—well, parts of it. Besides, it's way more fun when it's a surprise."
Yuno groaned, sinking back into her seat. "You're going to get us both killed."
Amel smirked, his lips curling into a playful grin. "Trust me."
His voice was smooth, almost too charming, and Yuno couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm. Cheater.
She bit her lip, trying to snap herself out of the daze, her eyes flickering nervously over the glowing crystals and intricate mechanisms.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she realized just how easily he could make her fluster.
She quickly averted her gaze, but it wasn't easy. She shifted her focus, trying to steady her racing pulse.
After a moment, she regained control of her nerves and surveyed the interior.
It was baffling how little she understood about the contraption.
Yet, despite her fear, there was an undeniable thrill—a mystery that tugged at her curiosity.
How could one person create something so... outlandish? So, impossibly fun?
"Ignition in three seconds," Amel's voice crackled through the helmet's communication system, a teasing lilt in his words. "Better brace your butt cheeks." {3}
"What?!" Yuno yelped, her hands instinctively grabbing for the armrests. {2}
Amel grinned, gripping the control stick. "Hold tight, Yuno. Here we go!" {1}
The rocket shuddered violently as the runes powering its engine flared to life. A deafening roar filled the cockpit, and in an instant, they shot into the air.
Yuno's breath caught as the force of the takeoff pressed her back into her seat.
Outside, the dense forest blurred into streaks of green and brown.
The world sped by—too fast, a whirling kaleidoscope of colors and wind.
Yuno gasped, the sheer speed of the rocket stealing the words from her mouth.
For a brief moment, panic flickered in her eyes.
But as the shock wore off, a wild grin spread across her face.
"This is insane!" she yelled, her voice bubbling with laughter.
Amel, laughing beside her, glanced at her. "You love it!"
She couldn't deny it. The rush, the thrill, the sheer impossibility of it all—it was exhilarating.
The rocket surged forward, following the enchanted rails Amel had laid to guide them toward the river.
As they neared the edge of the forest, Yuno's gaze shifted to the horizon, where the trees parted to reveal the shimmering expanse of the river stretching endlessly into the distance.
"Amel," she said, her voice steady now, "this is incredible."
Amel smirked, his hands firm on the controls. "And we're just getting started." With that, he pressed the red button.
The rocket shot through the forest canopy, plunging into the open sky above the river.
And for the first time in a long time, Yuno wasn't worried about what lay ahead.
She was swept away by the thrill of the moment, mesmerized by the person who had created this madness and by the boundless adventure that awaited them.
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