Frontiers Unexplored

15) Ruptured Flame

This chapter contains graphic descriptions of panic attacks and dysphoria breakdowns. It also contains mentions of child abuse. Please proceed with caution; your safety is of the utmost priority. 

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Aeoelmon still wasn't in a good mood when they arrived back at the base following the fight against Blizzarmon and the rest of the Warriors. They glared spitefully at Lyramon when the Warrior of Steel passed by, not in the mood to listen to what the leader of the Fallen Warriors had to say. 

Even if Aeoelmon didn't want to listen, Lyramon spoke anyways. Just their damn luck. "You failed," Lyramon said simply. It wasn't meant to be accusatory, instead merely stating a fact. Lyramon was right in that way, but it didn't make Aeoelmon feel any better. 

The Warrior of Earth turned to face Lyramon properly, stopping their shuffling immediately. "Who asked for your damn opinion?" they snarled. "I've had enough of your shit, Lyramon. All you ever do is send us out to fight your battles. You treat us like pawns in this giant chess game, but this isn't some place for you to test out your strategic skills. This isn't a tactical practice. This is war, and people can get hurt. We can get hurt, damn it! Our lives are at stake!"

"You think I don't know that?" Lyramon questioned, their tone suddenly biting. Aeoelmon didn't know what they had said to set off Lyramon, and they didn't particularly care. All they wanted in that moment was for the Warrior of Steel to fuck off and never speak to them again, though Aeoelmon knew that they wouldn't get that lucky until the day Lyramon's schemes finally fell through and got them killed. 

"I'm starting to wonder if you do," Aeoelmon grumbled unhappily. They kept walking despite Lyramon's expression attempting to pin them in place. Aeoelmon rammed their shoulder into Lyramon on the way by, though it unfortunately wasn't enough to knock their superior off balance. Just perfect. Even in the middle of an argument, Lyramon managed to be perfectly composed. Phenomenal. 

Aeoelmon didn't stop moving until they were in an abandoned corner of the base. Lyramon was always the one to rile them up, and they were why Aeoelmon had wanted to go and fight the Warriors in the first place. Battle wasn't always easy, but it got their mind off the frustration that awaited them back at the base. There was only so much of Lyramon that they could take at one moment. 

A growl started in the back of Aeoelmon's throat, and they slammed their fist into the nearest wall. The entire fortress shook with the force, and a few stray pieces of rock fell from the ceiling, but Aeoelmon didn't care. When would Lyramon just leave them alone? If the Warrior of Steel wasn't going to listen to anything they had the say, then what was the point of any of this? Cherubimon had labeled them as the strongest tactician based off a first glance their first day in the Digital World, and that was the moment everything started to fall apart. Aeoelmon couldn't deal with Lyramon and their subtle manipulative actions forever, and they were nearing the breaking point. 

That argument had been the first time Aeoelmon had seen Lyramon legitimately upset. As soon as they accused the Warrior of Steel of not understanding the gravity of war, Lyramon got angry, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Aeoelmon wished Lyramon could have suffered under the suffocating feeling of red, burning rage for just a while longer. Maybe it would have taught them a lesson about constantly asserting control over people who really didn't give a damn. 

Night had fallen before Aeoelmon realized what happened, and their anger hadn't subsided in the slightest. Maybe they were too close to fully snapping. The border may have drawn closer when they weren't paying attention. When they thought about going back out there and working with Lyramon once again, they felt as if they were going to fall apart and be left as an unsalvageable mess.