We went out into the yard. The three of us: me, Alexia, and Draconite. The night air was cold, but my bones were still burning from the inside, turning that cold into a barely noticeable chill.

  — Wow... You guys got seriously old, — I tossed out, looking them over.

  For me, barely any time had passed, but they had definitively turned into adults with heavy gazes and weight on their shoulders.

  — Yeah... — Alexia smiled bitterly. — You know, Greg, Lianel already has a child. Alphus is a happy father now. And Anna... she recently found out she's pregnant.

  Fast workers, I thought. They barely stepped out of the Academy and they've already started spawning a new generation.

  Draconite silently covered his face with his hand, and Alexia's shoulders began to tremble. In the moonlight, she seemed completely fragile.

  — We tried too, — she whispered. — Twice. But... the doctors say it's impossible. Our union is too specific. Draconite and human blood... they wage war inside. The baby dies in the womb. They said that even if someone is born, they wouldn't live a minute.

  She lifted her eyes to me, full of tears.

  — But Greg... why? I'm begging you, help us. You can do anything, after all.

  I tilted my head back, looking at the massive silver disk of the moon. And then, through the buzzing in my brain, an image emerged. That girl. The same silver hair, the same scarlet eyes, the same curve of her lips... I remembered a field. Tall grass. We were lying just like this, under the exact same moon, thousands of years ago.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  I didn't even notice when I started humming. Quietly, almost in a whisper, an old melody from a forgotten world:

  — "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when... But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. And I'll just say hello..." (Song: Maruwhat - We'll Meet Again)

  I looked at Alexia's face. Her tears reflected the moonlight, and in that instant, the image of that other girl began to rapidly melt away. Dissolve. I tried to hold onto it, but it slipped away like sand through my fingers.

  My voice went quiet and dead.

  — So, you want to go against fate itself? — I shifted my gaze to Draconite. — Fine. There is one method. As ancient as this world. I had hoped I'd completely forgotten it, but no... it's still right here, I pointed a finger at my temple.

  Such fierce, desperate hope flared in Draconite and Alexia's eyes that it made me sick to my stomach.

  — In your case, — I hammered out every word, — the asking price: thousands of souls for one. Bring a thousand humans here. I will wring their lives out to the very last drop. A thousand for one. A fair trade for this world.

  I said it and instantly regretted it. Everything inside me clenched with self-disgust.

  — Thank you, Greg! — Alexia grabbed my hand, not noticing that it was almost burning hot. — We'll bring them! We'll find a way!

  They left. Practically ran off, given wings by this terrifying deal. And I was left standing on the ashes of my own peace of mind.

  I looked at the moon, and teardrops rolled down my cheeks. Hot. Real.

  — I forgot your voice... — I whispered into the void. — I forgot your name. I'm starting to forget how you smiled. Please... don't go...

  I clutched my head, feeling everything burning inside, demanding a release for this pain.

  — WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!

  KABOOM!

  A massive pillar of red flame erupted from my body, instantly turning the gazebo into a pile of embers. The fire soared all the way to the clouds, illuminating the farm in a bloody glow.

  I sat on the scorched, charred earth and watched the moon slowly pale, giving way to the first ray of sun.

  — Even you are leaving, — I said, addressing the fading luminary.

  The world was waking up. And I... I had just signed the death warrant of a thousand strangers for the ghost of my happiness.