Another Year Another Smile

Don't Light Those Candles

The roar of thunder slices through the air outside the small apartment. Not a single light is on, leaving a candle as the only source of illumination. The miniscule flame flickers with a ferocity that threatens to go out at any second. The hassle of lighting it again would be more annoying than it is worth. However, the candle has to go out at some point. It is resting on a small cupcake after all. If someone doesn't blow it out, it will probably fall over or die by its own accord.

The cupcake rests on a paper plate, sitting between some old magazines on the coffee table. The heater of the apartment stopped working again about twenty minutes ago, but I don't seem to have the will to go hit it. Instead, my eyes are trained on the flame that violently waves back and forth. If I listen closely, I can almost hear it as well, providing a natural melody. Of violence or conclusion? I'm not sure... All I know is that the flame looks back at me in a taunting nature. As if it is some mighty power that cannot be silenced. All the while, it takes two fingers to snuff out this ember.

Maybe that's how I was. A mighty spark until I met the douter to my own fire. Those friends took away my own magic with just a simple song. One far stronger than mine. Now, here I await, watching a stupid flame. Not because I am mesmerized by its color, but because the meaning behind it is... odd. Most people would see this cupcake as a celebration. A means to smile. I, on the other hand, see it as another mark on how long this unbearable life has gone on for. Another year.

What is the point anyway? If my magic is gone, it just feels so pointless. Tiring. Draining...

"There WON'T be a next time, Adagio. I'm done with this shit," Aria's voice lingers in my ear, her last words telling me all I need to know. I never needed them in my life. I can't understand why they couldn't see the big picture... They just focused on what they wanted. I tried to help all of us reach our true potential. Instead, they called me a bully. I don't need them. They needed me.

"I never want to see you guys again," Sonata's whisper echoes in my head just as the flame flickers brighter than before. All I did was focus on the big picture. If they couldn't see that, then it was their loss.

Yet... it feels cold here. Even though a blanket is wrapped around my shoulders, I can't help but feel cold inside. A freezing ice that I can't seem to get rid of even when the heater is working. I've never minded being alone before, but now? The world feels empty. Without my magic, I am isolated. On a day that is supposed to "celebrate" my life, I am alone. And for some ungodly reason, that haunts me. Surely it's because my magic is gone and the idea of celebrating this torturous existence is futile. Even if those two idiots were here, it wouldn't make me feel better.

Reaching my hand out, I quietly snuff out the flame, leaving the room in darkness. No point in blowing out the candle. There is no realistic wish to make. I can see it now. Birthdays are idiotic in the core fundamentals... There's no point for me to keep celebrating the years that go by. Because there's no purpose anymore.

Chapter I: Don't Light Those Candles

The sound of a whirring is constantly repeating itself, over and over. It feels so hot, yet a small breeze tickles my face. Ah, I know what that sound is now... Taking a deep breath, I try to open my eyes, but my body refuses to budge. To be fair, I didn't get much sleep last night from Sunset's attention and... that dream. The whirring sound reminds me just how annoying a ceiling fan can be once you're awake. But it's almost necessary at this time of year. The summer heat threatens to melt houses. It almost makes me wonder how the birds are able to chirp so lively under the threatening gaze of the sun.

The light coming through the window is nearly blinding. It was a mistake to open my eyes... I guess Sunset decided to pull the blinds apart, giving me an eyeful of the ball of hellfire in the sky. I swear that Sunset is trying to kill me half the time with her ideas of "fun". Her side of the bed is empty as expected. How in the hell did Sunset have the energy to get up in the morning, turn on the ceiling fan, and open the window? We stayed up pretty late, leaving me with little energy left. Who knows? Maybe that smile of hers keeps her going somehow...