ZER

SIX

That one.

My mind tells me, and I don't need to be told twice. The middle one wears a black cape, he is taller than the males on his sides, he is taller than any Tzarian male in this room. If I said earlier that half naked Tzarians here have impressive bodies, I don't need the middle male to bare his chest to know he can easily put the rest of the male in shame. His physic is in the borderline of impossible, the sight of him makes me want to run away from him. His chest adorned with a lot of red and gold embellishments, his sleek long black hair is neatly combed away from his face.

His face...

His chin is squared, his jaw is sharp, his lips are fuller at the bottom, his nose is rather wide and high although something tells me it has been broken several times, and his eyes... His browless, eyelashes-less eyes are hooded. The color of his sunset eyes are redder than orange, and it holds so much sadness I feel my eyes water.

It takes one to notice one, I guess. But what catching my eyes is the old scar from his left bumpy brow to underneath of his left ear. Clearly, I can see the depth of sorrow he's holding, layers of pain he keeps inside him, the impossible strength to be here, and live his life when his eyes tell me the only thing he wants is probably to stop existing.

He is broken just like me, or even more so.

The trio stops by the dais and engaged in a serious conversation with one of the authorities. I noticed that none of them are wearing silver bands.

They are unpaired.

With that in mind, I take my first determining step. Nobody pays me attention as all eyes are on the three males. But as I'm getting closer, the middle male noticed me, his eyes lock with mine for a moment and I feel heaviness in my chest.

Perhaps, we can tend to each other's wounds?

The other two notice the middle one's distraction and follow his eyes, I stop a few feet away from them.

"Hello? Can we help you?" The left one asks me.

"Yes," My eyes are still with the middle one. "I'd like to give you this." I handed him the silver band and all three take two steps back with horror expression on their face.

"Are you the representative of Earth? The unpaired Tzarian are lining behind you." The right one told me.

"So are you," I told the middle male again. I look at his wrist again just to double check if he's already wearing silver band, he has none.

The two males are looking at the middle one in shock. Nobody says a word for a while and it's getting awkward.

"Have you paired already?" I ask him.

He looks at me for a moment, "No." His voice is deep and slightly rough, just like him.

Then I don't know what is stopping him, "I have been told to give this only to one of the unpaired males."

The left male opens his mouth to object but quickly closes it.

The right male tries to say something but nothing coming out of his mouth.

I look at the middle male again, if it's possible, his eyes are filled with pain and... fear? It's as if I ripped open his bandage and exposed his deepest nastiest wound. I don't want to cause anybody any pain. I, from all living creatures, know what pain can do to somebody, especially an old pain.

So I bring my hand down.

"If you're unwilling, I will not push you," I tell him. With that, I turn myself around.