Chapter Text
[PROLOGUE]
--Soleia Valen--
The air was not hot, but definitely a bit cold. It’s in the middle of July and also my 20th birthday, in which I impulsively decided I wanted to go paragliding. Yeah I know, for all other activities I could do for my birthday, why paragliding? I honestly don’t know. Ever since I was a kid, my father taught me many things–one of which, was to live life every single day as if it was my last day. When he was alive, he had me do sports, and when I said sports, I meant A LOT of sports. Every summer when we visited the countryside, we would always go for a run every single day and hike in the mountains, no matter how hot it was, it became our routine. And ironically, despite that, I was still pale as fuck.
My mother died when I was 7. And I was left with my father until last year when he passed from old age. I love my mother, but I wasn’t able to have much time with her. My father, on the other hand, was the one I grew up with. Although he never told me what he used to do when he was still working, from the things he taught me, I can say it wasn’t an easy job. When I was 4, he started teaching me martial arts. In our basement, he had set up equipment to teach me every single move and technique he knew that could help me defend myself. According to him, the world isn’t an easy place, especially for women like me. And he always, ALWAYS, made me remember how important it was to be able to defend myself, that someday, I can use it not just for me but also to defend the people I love.
When I turned 13, instead of giving me books, he started giving me weapons. In our basement, every after my class finishes, we spar and spar for long hours. He taught me the art of the sword and taught me how to shoot with a gun. Some people might say, what an odd thing to teach their daughter, but for me, it was the thing I always looked forward to every single day of my life.
In our field in the countryside, unlike most people, instead of gardening, we hike. We used to use the huge stones and boulders in the mountains as obstacle courses and ran every single day through them. My first paragliding experience was also in our countryside. The first time I hiked the mountain to the very top, he had me paraglide all the way back down. It was the time I felt the freest, and I could see the smile etched on his face, pride showing, his hand waving from the mountaintop as I laughed loudly in the skies.
Now back to the present, this is my first birthday that I didn’t spend with my father. And so, remembering all our moments before, I went back to our countryside, hiked to the top, and now, I’m gliding in the skies. Whenever I’m here, I always think about what it feels like to ride a dragon, to be higher than everything else, and to feel free.
I miss my father, so much, but if he were still here, he would urge me to continue what he’s taught me. He may have passed away, but he’s always in me, along with his teachings, and I promise to live on with it.
The wind sways me, guiding me as I watch the plains and the mountains below. It is a truly exhilarating feeling. I see our tiny house below, what was once full of laughter and fun, now a quiet place full of memories. Tears start to form in my eyes, with my hands holding the handles, I close my eyes to let my vision clear. But as I open them…I can’t see. No, all I see is white…
Shit…what happened…did I eat something? I’m in the skies right now I can’t suddenly go unconscious…
I close my eyes again, hoping that once I open them, my vision will be back to normal. But as I do, it does go back to normal…but the thing is…I’m not in the skies anymore…