~CODY~I sighed for the umpteenth time as I unzipped my bag, hoping not to return to the room and find another warning letter in the mirror. Rain had wanted to inform my parents about it, but I had stopped him because it would only make them more worried about us potentially being forced to separate. Until I found a way to save Rain from his peril, I had no intention of telling my parents."Are you alright?" Rain's voice sounded beside me as he stood by the bed, holding his luggage. "Are you all packed?"I nodded in response. "Yes, I am."He stretched his hand out for me to take. "Let's go; the others are waiting."I grabbed his hand, and we both headed out of the room. Just as he was about to lock the door, I stopped him. "Wait, I want to take another look around."He frowned at me before nodding in response, letting me reenter the room. I looked around, noticing how everything was neatly arranged. If someone had broken into our room, I believed it might have been someone we knew, an
~RAIN~I yawned, fluttering my eyes open to the murmur of the other students. I noticed the bus had stopped in the middle of what appeared to be a forest. Naturally, it had to be a forest; what else was I expecting?I heaved a deep sigh, glancing to my right to see Cody still sleeping peacefully with his head on my shoulder. "Hey," I gently tapped him on the shoulder, and he groaned as he slowly opened his eyes."Where are we?" he asked."I believe we've arrived," I replied, pointing forward to the students disembarking from the bus.He groaned and stretched. "We better join them." He stood up, and I followed behind him. Once outside the bus, we trailed the rest of the students until the teacher stopped at the center of the woods. There, a large clearing was devoid of grass, surrounded by tents, about twenty in total. A long table displayed various colored boxes."We are here," the teacher, Loki, adjusted his glasses and clapped his hands. "Welcome to the Forest of Truth!" he announce
~CODY~My phone buzzed with a message from Rain, sending my heart into a sudden race. I scanned the table for any sign of him, but he was nowhere in sight.The message on my screen illuminated with anticipation: "Meet me inside the forest - Rain." Excitement and curiosity ignited within me. Without hesitation, I pocketed my phone and headed towards the edge of the woods."Rain," I called out when I couldn't spot him."Here" A whisper reached me from behind, and before I could react, strong arms wrapped around me. Rain's lips pressed against my neck, and laughter escaped me—a delightful surprise."Rain, you sure know how to make an entrance," I chuckled, turning to face him."I wanted to surprise you," he grinned, kissing the top of my head."Well, mission accomplished," I replied, reciprocating the embrace. "I missed not having you close to me last night. It makes me hate this whole trip thing.""Me too," he whispered. Our eyes met, and without words, I leaned in, capturing Rain's li
~Rain~As Cody and I cautiously entered the cave, drawn by the mysterious voice, an unsettling feeling crept over me. The air felt charged with an unseen energy, and my instincts told me that something was amiss. Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped us, as if we were being consumed by its brilliance. The world spun around us, and before I knew it, I was on the ground.Regaining consciousness, a low groan escaped my lips, and I felt the throbbing pain pulsing through my body. Opening my eyes slowly, I found myself in a place far removed from the forest or the cave. The surreal landscape featured a sky adorned with thousands of stars, seemingly closer than the usual sky.Cody was already on his feet, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. I struggled to sit up, my head aching. "Where are we?" I asked, my voice strained. Cody turned towards me, his face etched with concern."I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out why we entered that cave and how we ended up in this peculiar place,
~Cody~My screams and Rain's cries echoed through the rain as we plunged into the ocean depths. Anticipating a collision, I was surprised to find ourselves submerged in another body of water, entering a realm I never thought possible. The cool embrace of the water calmed my spirit, and the haunting melody of birds in flight made me question if I had stumbled into a fantastical world.Rowing his boat, Kao joined in the bird's chorus as we followed our younger selves. Nearing a colossal black gate flanked by towering walls, it swung open, revealing a somber, dark expanse on the other side.Kao halted, directing our attention to our younger counterparts engaged in conversation. "What are you saying?" Rain inquired."Listen," Kao murmured. I closed my eyes, shutting out the sounds of rushing water and birdsong, focusing on what lay ahead."My name is Rain, and I'm grateful to have a friend like you here," my younger self expressed."I'm Cody," I heard my past self introduce, shaking hands
~CODY~ "The crown prince is gay!" The words resounded in my head over and over until I felt something shaking me back to reality. It was Caden who was kneeling by my side."Say something and stop acting like a coward!" he yelled angrily at me and then hit me in the face. My eyes widened, and I looked toward him. "I have already called Father, and he already sent the royal guards here."I blinked but didn't say anything. I looked around until my eyes landed on Rain, who was standing, covering his face with his hands. Our eyes met, and he smiled at me. Why the hell was he smiling? Our secrets were revealed, and he was smiling, acting like everything was perfect when we both knew that it wasn't."So the crown prince is gay! I can't believe that," one of the students commented, whispering, but I could still hear her."No wonder he never had a girlfriend. This is his real identity," another one commented."Who would have thought that the two best friends are gays?" Another student comment
~Rain~ "The council of elders is already aware of the situation, and they've started asking questions," Cara paused, lifting her gaze from her phone. "That's not all. Numerous unfavorable comments are circulating about both of you." she paused and then Continued. "I will..." "Now is not the time to announce the comments. We already know they won't be positive, so there's no reason for you to say anything," I interjected. I rubbed my hands together anxiously, lowering my head, wondering how we had been discovered despite being extra careful. My parents would undoubtedly be disappointed, and the alpha king would be furious that I had betrayed his trust and failed to protect the prince, as he had ordered. Why couldn't we just be open about who we were and show that we, too, were individuals with feelings? It was infuriating to know that the world wouldn't accept us. With everything exposed, there was a high chance the alpha king would order Cody and me to be separated. The thought of
~CODY~"I won't read this!" I exclaimed angrily at the piece of paper my father handed me for the press conference he had arranged. I couldn't bring myself to say the words written on it. It was just too much."You will do it!" my father insisted, thrusting the paper into my hand. "This is your duty as the crown prince of Salvador, and you will do exactly as I've told you."I shook my head firmly. "I can't deny that I was the one in the audio, letting Rain take the fall for it. I can't do it," I refused, tossing the paper to the ground. "I'm going to come clean to everyone and, if possible, leave the realm. I could go to Uncle Marcus in the human realm and live there."My father scoffed and angrily grabbed my shoulder. "Are you even listening to yourself?" he yelled. "Do you know what the world would write about you? Have you checked the news to see what everyone is saying about you and Rain? I'm trying everything to ensure that both of you won't have to suffer from the aftermath of a
RainTwo years later,I frowned as I checked the watch in my hand for the time and hissed again. The plane should have landed, but it hadn't, which made me question why I had arrived two hours earlier. I had come when the sun was about to set, and now, it was dark, yet the plane showed no sign of landing.I shook my legs, stood up, and rubbed my hand on my forehead. I couldn't concentrate and only think about seeing him again after two months. That was the longest we had been away. He had gone on a royal prince's assignment, even though he was not the crown prince anymore. I should have gone with him, but I stayed back to finish some school projects, leading to our separation for two long months.I missed him so much, and even though we did video calls, chatted, and had phone calls, I still couldn't stop thinking about him, knowing that I was going to bed alone without his warm hands around my waist. Today was his birthday, and I had planned a massive surprise for him, which he would
~Cody~ Three weeks later,"Are you ready?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist."I've been waiting for this day all my life, and I'm happy that finally, I am going to see it happen with you." I turned around to face him and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was short, and I soon turned back to face the mirror. "What do you think the world will think about us, Rain?" I rubbed my face and adjusted my tie as I stared at myself in the mirror. This was it. I had made the decision, and there was no turning back. I made the decision myself when we arrived from the in-between because it was my decision, and I would never regret it.Today was the day I would reveal myself to the world, not just myself. I was also showing my mate for everyone to see."Everyone must accept us for what we are, Cody, and if they don't, we can always run away without caring about what anyone thinks. This is our time, and now that both our parents have agreed to it, who else can stop us from becoming what we
~Rain~As I released the arrow, my eyes followed it anxiously as it soared toward the source of the voice. The voice unleashed a scream, accompanied by growling, and a bright light emerged, revealing Gasin.Having envisioned Gasin as an ugly creature, I was surprised to find a beautiful red-haired woman. The only features distinguishing her as a goddess were a mark on her forehead and six fingers. This unique trait instilled a sense of fear in me, uncertain of what might unfold."You found the arrow of light!" she growled, placing her hand on the arrow in her heart. "You stupid boy!" Gasin pointed toward me, and the monstrous creatures ran from behind the Alpha King and Luna Queen, advancing on me.In the chaos, one of the creatures slashed across my chest, causing me to groan in pain. Before I could recover, another struck my back, forcing me to drop the bow from my hand."Cody!" I heard my name shouted. "What the hell are you doing!" Cody screamed. "Don't hurt him, please. He didn't
~Cody~I smiled brightly when I saw him heading towards me. He was here, which means he passed the test with me. ''Rain!" I shouted his name and rushed to hug him as soon as our eyes met. "I am glad we both made it," I chuckled and kissed his forehead. "I had thought that maybe something bad had happened, but here you are, smiling brightly at me. I am happy that we were able to work it out."Rain smiled and embraced me warmly, not letting go. "I had thought that something had happened to you, but I am happy that you are here, and there is nothing wrong with you," he muttered."Me too," I told him and sighed.A bright light suddenly appeared, breaking us apart, and from the bright light appeared a man dressed in a black robe with red patterns. The man's silver hair shone brightly as he approached us, carrying a powerful aura to behold."You both have succeeded, and I am proud of you," he said, bursting into laughter. "In all the years of being a master here, you are the first that woul
~Cody~The light. After the light appeared, everything changed, and I found myself in a room filled with diamonds. Rain was nowhere to be seen. It's like he was separated from me; no one needed to tell me that the test of desires had started.‘’You are weak!’’ A voice sounded behind me as I stood amid the diamonds, not taking another step because I had no idea where I was. ‘’Nobody wants you and Rain to be together. You are only a liability to him, and the sooner you realize this, the better.’’ The voice shouted, his voice resounding in the room.‘’Who are you?’’ I demanded to know the voice that sounded menacing and powerful enough to intimidate me. ‘’I won’t ask you again, who the hell are you!’’ I screamed back at the voice.‘’This is why you and Rain can never be together,’’ Caden shouted as he appeared before me. ‘’You are too weak, unable to defend the kingdom, and you caused the disappearance of our parents. Everything that is happening is all because of you. This is your fault
~Rain~ Finally, we were there, and it was the last phase, meaning that we would face Gasin sooner or later once we got what we wanted. That meant it would be the end of her. She wouldn’t bother us any longer, and everyone would be freed from her cruel rule. It also meant I could be together with Cody again without worrying about what others think about us."Are you ready?" I asked him. "This is the last place, and here, anything might happen. Promise me that you will return to me?" I asked, and he nodded in response, grabbing my shirt collar and pulling me into his arms."You also promised me that everything would be fine and you wouldn’t die in there?"I nodded in response, and he leaned in, kissing me quickly. I kissed him back, cut short by Teo, who had appeared from nowhere behind us. "I believed that you two are already done with your lovey-dovey moments," he laughed, and then his tone suddenly changed. "You also need to know that even though you might have promised yourself to
~CODY~ My eyes widened in shock as I watched him fall. ‘’Rain!’’ I shouted his name. It shouldn’t have to end this way, I thought. He didn’t have to sacrifice his life because of me, and now, he expected that I would be happy that he was gone. I could feel the rage building inside of me. It was just like the heat emanating from the boiling fire. I was angry at myself; it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t fallen. ‘’Everything is because of me!’’ I screamed and hit my chest repeatedly. ‘’if only I had tried my best to convince him then…..’’ I let out another scream as I placed my hand on the ground, tears flooding my eyes. How was I even supposed to live without him by my side? He was selfish, that I believed. He wouldn’t have left me alone and fell to the fire if he were not selfish. He was a selfish man who only thought of himself and not others. If he was not selfish, he should have let me go instead; now, he was gone. ‘’Rain!’’ I leaned against the edge of the step and
~Rain~ ‘’watch where you put your feet!’’ I shouted to Cody as we started climbing the valley. It was hard even to walk perfectly because the steps were not straight, and that was not all; it was dark, and the only glint of light we could rely on was the light that had penetrated one of the holes in the valley's walls. It was challenging to walk perfectly, and holding onto the wall was our only support. ‘’soon, we will reach the other side,’’ Cody assured me and laughed. ‘’And then, we will return with the sword, and it will spell the end for Gasin.’’ I should have been laughing alongside him, but I didn’t find the urge to laugh because I thought about many things that could go wrong. I feared something dangerous might happen to us In the valley because Teo had mentioned something about a boiling valley, but I had not seen anything related. I was starting to get worried about what could go wrong. ‘’are you alright? You are not…..ah!’’ he screamed as he tripped and fell.
~Cody~ Countless hours of walking had left me exhausted and hungry, and despite the weariness, our limited time in the realm compelled me to push forward. I couldn't bear to be responsible for wasting precious time, especially knowing Rain would worry. As my legs trembled, they eventually gave way, and I found myself on the ground. "Cody!" Rain rushed over; concern etched across his face. "What's happening? Are you alright?" Gasping for breath, sweat streaming down my face, I shook my head. "I'm not doing well," I confessed, sighing heavily. "I..." Pausing, I noticed the worry in Rain's eyes. "I don't want to impede our progress, and now..." "Mortals," Teo interjected. "I wouldn't blame you if you're getting tired. After all, this is not your home. Don't worry; I'll get you something to eat, and there's a stream down there." He pointed in the right direction. "You can go there and drink some water. I'll fetch food for both of you." With that, he flew away. "Can you walk?