Planet Xyloria: The Witches' Island

As two suns crept over the horizon of Xyloria, their light stretched across the land like a warm embrace. The radiant glow of the suns bathed the world in amber and rose, casting brilliant reflections off the myriad of crystals scattered throughout the countryside. The soft hum of morning filled the air as the people of Xyloria emerged from their homes, gathering in bustling streets and alleyways, their faces lit with smiles. Shopkeepers opened their stores with the warm scent of freshly baked bread and sweet pastries drifting through the streets. The morning seemed to promise peace, joy, and unity.

You'd think that with the world beginning its day in such a way, everyone would be feeling the warmth, the hope that came with the sunrise. But you're wrong.

Stretched out on his bed, Emrys lay unmoving. His hair, tangled and unkempt, was spread across his face, an unspoken metaphor for his mind. He hadn't moved since the night before, and the echoes of last night's events haunted him, relentless. His mind was an empty vessel, but at the same time, thoughts whirled around him like a storm he couldn't escape.

His eyes, bloodshot and heavy, stared at the ceiling. The spinning fan above did nothing to cool the feverish thoughts that tormented him.

"I'm sorry, Emrys!" Aélius yelled, reaching out to him.

Emrys turned, pushing him back, but Aélius barely moved. "You don't get to say 'I'm sorry.' I trusted you, Aélius." Tears slid down Emrys' face.

"I-"

"You betrayed me!"

Emrys forced himself to sit up, shaking the memory from his head, but it clung to him like a shadow, persistent and unforgiving. The knock on the door was faint at first, almost drowned by the silence inside his mind. But when it came again, he had no choice but to respond.

Dragging himself out of bed, his body felt like lead, each step heavy, reluctant. He shuffled to the door and opened it, only to find his son, Damian, standing there, his bright eyes full of concern.

Damian was about to speak, but before he could, Emrys sighed. "You haven't been out of your room," his son noted softly. Without another word, Damian turned and locked the door behind him before moving further into the room.

Emrys didn't respond immediately. He just stood there, looking at Damian. The boy was growing so quickly, too quickly. It was as if the weight of the world was already settling on his small shoulders.

"What's wrong, Papa?" Damian's voice was a whisper of worry, and it tugged at Emrys's heart.

For a long moment, Emrys said nothing, unsure of what to say. The truth was, he didn't even know what was wrong with him. His thoughts were too chaotic, his emotions too raw.

Finally, he smiled faintly at his son. "I've just been tired lately. Lots of work. Projects, blueprints, deadlines…" He trailed off, brushing his hand through his messy hair, trying to mask the fatigue that plagued him.

Damian just looked at his papa, concern written all over his face. But he didn't push him, just gave him a hug, knowing how stressful work can get.

"You should take the day off, Papa," he said, his voice as soft as the weight of his hug. "I can cover for you."

Emrys chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "I can't stop now. I'm almost done. But I promise I'll take a break when everything's done, okay?"

Damian pulled back just enough to extend his pinky finger, offering the unspoken promise they'd shared since childhood. "Pinky?"

Emrys looked down at his son's outstretched finger, his heart swelling with affection. He couldn't help but smile, his tension easing for just a moment. "I pinky," he said softly, wrapping his pinky around Damian's, feeling the small, warm touch of his child's trust.

"I'm trusting you, Papa," Damian said, his voice quiet but firm. "You can never break a pinky promise."

The sincerity in his son's words made Emrys's chest tighten. He shooed Damian away, his smile softening. "I love you," he whispered as Damian turned to leave.

The door closed quietly behind Damian, and the smile that had graced Emrys's face immediately faded. He slumped against the wall, his hand running down his face in frustration.

"Shit," he muttered to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he made his way back to the bed, collapsing onto the mattress, the weight of everything pressing down on him once again.

You guys might be wondering on what is going on here. 

So, let me fill you in on a little secret.

FlashBack

The kiss had been tentative at first—unsure, like two strangers exploring something unfamiliar. The contact was gentle, hesitant, a brush of lips that spoke volumes about the years of restraint, of words unsaid. But as the seconds stretched, the kiss deepened, and with it, the floodgates opened. It wasn't just a kiss—it was a release, an unspoken confession, a quiet declaration of emotions that had been buried far too long.

Aélius had pulled him in closer, his fingers tangling in Emrys's hair, pressing him against him as the world around them seemed to disappear.

But then, in an instant, everything shifted.

Emrys was no longer in Aélius's arms. He was somewhere else—somewhere unfamiliar.

Buildings loomed around him, stark and strange, as he turned to find Aélius calling out to someone.

Emrys found himself in a different place, with buildings he doesn't recognize.

"Wait!" He truned around to see Aélius rushing foward, reaching out for someone. Their face covered in shadows, not knowing who he is talking.

The shadowed face pulled his arm out of his reach, walking even faster.

"I'm sorry Emrys!" Aélius shouted, reaching out to him.

Emrys turned around, pushing him away but that only made him move slightly back. "You don't get to say I'm sorry. I trusted you Aélius." Tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I-"

"You betrayed me!"

Emrys pulled back slightly, a mixture of fear and confusion shocking him back to reality. 

End of Flashback

Emrys sat there, trembling slightly as he stared at his hands, trying to make sense of the fragments in his mind. He didn't know what Aélius had done, but he knew he had been betrayed somehow. And it frustrated him to no end that he couldn't remember the details.

Groaning in frustration, Emrys pushed himself off the bed and trudged to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, the chill doing little to ease the burning inside him. He brushed his teeth mechanically, lost in his thoughts.

When he finally emerged from the bathroom, he stepped into his closet and threw on an outfit with little thought. A black, cropped turtleneck adorned with harness straps and buckles, high-waisted leggings with sheer mesh panels running down the sides, and thigh-high boots that clicked against the floor as he walked. The reflection in the mirror barely registered in his mind.

With a heavy sigh, he left the room, his heart still heavy with the weight of his thoughts. But there was no time to dwell. There was work to be done.

"Boss!" A voice called from behind him, pulling Emrys from his haze.

He turned to see Slyv'Xya and Alyx, dressed in their guard uniforms, rushing toward him.

He gave them a curt nod, but the expression on their faces made him pause.

"What's wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at their confused expressions.

"We are your gaurds?" Alyx said, wording it into a question. He truned to look at Sylv'Xya who just nodded, confirming that what Alyx said was true.

Emrys stared at them for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. "Right…" And with that, he continue his walk to his office. Once there, he opened the double doors, entering his office with the two following closely behind him. 

Walking in, he sees Basi laying spralled ontop of his desk. His desk?

"Basi get the fuck down." Eyes widening, he fell onto the grounding, neighing softly in pain before getting up, strutting to his bed like he did nothing wrong.

Basi neighed softly in pain as he tumbled to the floor, before strutting toward the bed, as if nothing had happened.

Sighing, Emrys turned to his guards. "Alyx, I need you to find everything on Aélius—everything about his planet and his kings."

Alyx nodded immediately, his face serious. He was already on it.

Emrys slumped into his chair, rubbing his face, his mind a whirlwind of confusion.

Sylv'Xya, sensing the tension, took a seat across from him, his eyes filled with concern

.

"If I may be bold?" Sylv'Xya began, but Emrys just chuckled, shaking his head.

"Go ahead."

"Is everything alright, boss?"

Emrys hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should tell them the truth, but the weight of his thoughts was too much to keep to himself.

"I… I kissed Aélius," Emrys confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sylv'Xya's eyes widened, but before he could respond, Alyx spoke up from across the room. "That's good, right?"

Emrys shook his head, a dry laugh escaping his lips. "I had a vision. I didn't even know I could have visions."

He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I saw him betray me. I don't know how or why, but I know it's tied to his kings. I need to know everything about them. Whatever they did… it's all connected."

The room fell into silence as Emrys's words sank in. But after a long pause, Sylv'Xya spoke again, his voice laced with concern.

"What are you going to do once you have the information?"

Emrys looked up, his gaze cold, almost distant. He didn't even realize how low his voice had dropped as he spoke.

"I'm gonna kill-" He cut himself off, dozing off for a milisecond before continuing, his voice dropping in a low, whispered tone. "Every. Single. One of them."

---

Meanwhile, Damian groaned in frustration, his eyes glued to the flickering hologram in front of him. The soft glow of the projected interface highlighted the exhaustion on his face as he plopped down onto the fluffy sofa that dominated the center of his room. The silence between him and the hologram felt like it was mocking his indecision.

Behind him, the presence of his guards, Aeris and Lumin, loomed like silent sentinels.

They exchanged wary glances, their arms crossed, observing their mini-boss—Damian—throwing an unmistakable tantrum. He had been pacing, muttering to himself, and groaning every few seconds.

"What should I do?!?" Damian practically shouted, his voice tinged with frustration.

Lumin, ever the calm and collected one, glanced at Aeris, his eyes searching for any sign of guidance. They'd learned quickly over the past day that not every question he asked required an answer. Still, they couldn't help but wonder if this particular question needed an answer.

Aeris, his towering figure seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the moment, simply shrugged.

Internally groaning, Aeris decided to step in. "He gave you his holo number. You should hologram him."

Damian whipped around so quickly that Aeris and Lumin both flinched, certain his neck would snap under the sudden movement.

"YES!" His face lit up with an expression of sudden realization, like a light bulb had turned on in his head.

The idea of reaching out to K'Orion was terrifying and thrilling all at once. It had been a week since they first met, and since that first encounter, Damian couldn't shake the feeling that something was drawing him to K'Orion. He'd seen him almost every day since, always at the same time, in the same place. Always the same mysterious presence, caught in the quiet hum of the marketplace and tucked away in his aunt's shop.

And K'Orion was... different. His skin was the color of polished obsidian, shimmering with shifting patterns of gold and silver, like a living, breathing digital canvas. His ears, furry and pointed, twitched with every sound. The piercings on his body seemed endless, like marks of rebellion, and the thorned tail—always swaying behind him—added an edge to his already enigmatic appearance.

Damian had felt drawn to him, like a magnet pulling him closer, but the question remained: What was this feeling? And why was it so intense?

Even K'Orion had started to notice him. Every time he walked into his aunt's shop, Damian's presence felt like a heavy weight, but not one that was unwelcome. It was inevitable that one day K'Orion would approach him, and when he did, their conversations flowed naturally.

Damian knew almost everything about him by now. K'Orion had come here to escape his overbearing parents, and though his aunt wasn't really his aunt, she had become the person he could rely on. He knew that K'Orion had a soft spot for the color orange and hated the cold.

And through it all, Damian's feelings only deepened. Yet, he still had no idea what that feeling was, or how to act on it.

It wasn't until their most recent meeting that K'Orion had handed him a number. At first, Damian didn't know what it was for, but Lumin had been quick to inform him—it was for a hologram call. That simple fact set the wheels of anticipation turning.

Now, here he was, standing in front of the mirror, desperate to know if he looked okay before dialing the number. He turned quickly, his eyes scanning his outfit as if it held the answers to his questions.

"Do I look good?" he asked, the anxiety creeping into his voice.

Aeris and Lumin exchanged another look, a mix of surprise and uncertainty. After all, Damian's fashion sense was… bold. Today, he wore a black lace crop top, the deep neckline plunging daringly with thick straps and silver hardware. Around his neck hung a layered silver necklace adorned with star pendants and a black choker. His high-waisted black flared pants clung to his waist, their sheer lace overlay forming a cross-pattern that teased the edge of mystery.

They both gulped before answering in unison, being quick with their answer, "Yes."

Damian grinned, satisfied with their answer. Without another word, he tapped the number into his hologram device.

And then—there he was.

K'Orion's hologram flickered into life, and Damian's breath hitched as he took in the sight. The obsidian skin, the gold and silver patterns dancing across his body like stars in motion. His amber eyes gleamed as they locked onto Damian's, and the hint of a smile curved at the corners of his lips, giving Damian a glimpse of the teasing yet warm side of the other man. The thorned tail behind him swayed slowly, an almost imperceptible motion that spoke volumes of K'Orion's amusement.

The first thing K'Orion did was scan him from head to toe, and Damian could've sworn he saw the faintest glimmer of approval in those amber eyes. He bit his lip, trying to keep his composure.

"Damian," K'Orion's voice flowed effortlessly, smooth as honey and rich with warmth. "I was wondering when you'd call."

Damian's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected him to sound so calm, so sure of himself. Was K'Orion waiting for this moment too? Was he as nervous as Damian, or was he simply more in control?

He cleared his throat, trying to steady his nerves. "Uh, yeah," he stammered. "I mean, I knew that's what the number was for. I just… found out today."

K'Orion raised an eyebrow, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. "Today? Damian, I gave that to you three days ago."

Damian's face turned crimson. He could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks, and he shot a glare over his shoulder at Aeris and Lumin, who were doing their best to suppress their laughter. He waved them off as if dismissing them, but they still lingered, watching him closely.

"It's not my fault," Damian grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "My guards weren't there to tell me."

"We became your guards yesterday," Aeris said from behind, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You didn't even know we were your gaurds until yesterday."

Damian waved him off again. "That's neither here nor there."

K'Orion's smile only deepened, and he laughed—a deep, resonant sound that made Damian's heart race even faster. "Of course, of course. It's their fault."

Damian nodded with a mischievous grin. "Exactly."

K'Orion chuckled again, this time a more playful sound. "I don't just give my holo number to anyone, you know."

Damian's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really," K'Orion said, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "There's something about you… something different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know I want to figure it out."

Damian felt his pulse quicken. The sincerity behind K'Orion's words resonated deeply within him. It was as if the room itself had shifted, the air heavier with unspoken meaning.

"I feel the same way," Damian confessed, his voice barely audible. "I don't know what it is either, but… I like it."

K'Orion's smile softened, his expression becoming even warmer. "Good. We can be clueless and happy together."

The weight of the moment was not lost on Damian. For all the confusion and uncertainty, there was something incredibly freeing about the simplicity of that statement.

Aeris nudged Lumin, rolling his eyes at the two's utter cluelessness. Lumin stifled a chuckle as they exchanged amused glances.

"So," K'Orion continued, his tone light and casual, "What's been going on in your life?"

And just like that, the conversation flowed. Damian found himself telling K'Orion about his day—the mundane and the bizarre—laughing at jokes and sharing stories like they had known each other forever. It was easy. It was natural. It was like they'd been doing this for years, even if it had only been a matter of days.

As they spoke, it became clear that their connection was growing stronger, a delicate thread that seemed to tie them together more with every passing word.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" K'Orion asked, his voice smooth and confident.

"Nothing in particular," Damian replied, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"Then how about we meet up?" K'Orion suggested, leaning back against his headboard. His markings shimmered as he moved, the light catching the patterns on his skin.

Damian swallowed hard, his eyes unconsciously tracing the lines of K'Orion's bare chest. He nodded slowly. "Okay." His voice was barely a whisper, but K'Orion heard it loud and clear.

"Yeah, we could." K'Orion's smile was soft, a glimmer of satisfaction in his expression.

"But I have to go before my auntie comes back. She's babysitting today, so I have to get ready," K'Orion said, his lip caught between his teeth, a smile playing on his face.

The briefest pause lingered as K'Orion scanned Damian one more time, as if memorizing every detail. They exchanged a final goodbye, and with that, the hologram flickered, fading into the air like a dissipating dream.

Damian stood frozen for a moment, staring at the empty space where K'Orion had been. His heart was racing, and the room felt suddenly too quiet. He let out a long breath, excitement and anticipation swirling in his chest.

As he began to plan out what he would wear and what he would say, Damian couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration. This was the start of something new, something exciting. And he couldn't wait to see where it would lead.

At least Damian couldn't wait to see where it would lead. As for the others? Well, i'm not so sure they'd be as eager to face what the future had in store.