Today was the day before we left Aldine for an extended period. I wasn't sure how long this extraordinary journey was going to take. Liam left the base saying he had to make a report to the Brotherhood, and I wanted to go with him.

"No way!" Liam adamantly refuses before dashing away.

I sighed deeply before deciding to make the most of the time I had left in the city. And I decided to go to the hospital to chat with Ellie about the journey I was about to take.

I knocked on the door of Ellie's private room before entering. She was laying down on her bed with a journal in her hand, carefully writing in it.

"Hey, Ellie."I smiled as I took a seat in the nearby chair.

"I-Ian!" Ellie hastily hid her journal underneath her as she noticed my arrival.

"You...seem a bit different for some reason."Ellie examined my face with her crimson eyes, and I instantly felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

"It may be because of all of the things I learned recently. I learned about my powers...Although apparently, I can't wield it correctly yet...Haha...But hey that journal..."I said as I started to reach towards the area she concealed it in.

"If you try touching that journal, I will bite your arm off!!"Ellie gnashed her teeth as she became protective over her private journal.

"Alright, I won't look at it. I promise, "I said as I raised my hands into the air, leaning back into the chair as I started laughing.

"So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Why do you think I have something to tell you?

"Mm...Because I just felt it for some apparent reason. Is there something you wanted to tell me?

"Well, Liam is hauling us out on the sea again. We are leaving tomorrow."

"Oh yeah? About a week or two?"

"Well no, it could be longer then that...se-"

"Three weeks? You guys must be going really far out."

"N-no I mean it is going to be several...years?" I said as I shrugged my shoulders unsure of how long it will take.

"Oh..." Ellie paused for a moment and looked down in disappointment. Her eyes then widen after she processed what I had said."YEARS?! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GOING?!"Ellie instantly reached over and grabbed the collar of my shirt with all her strength.

"Um..."I scratched my head as I try thinking of a way to answer her without spilling too much information.

"Tell me NOW IAN!"Ellie shook me back and forth as she glared at me. (Oh...Geez maybe I shouldn't have told her like always and just left this time...No, that wouldn't have been good. )

A nurse suddenly stormed into Ellie's room with a fierce scowl on her face.

"Could you guys be quiet? This is a hospital! We have other patients who require their rest! Hmph! "The nurse slammed the door behind her as she left.

We both blush with shame.

Ellie sighed softly, calming down a little before gazing into my eyes, searching for an answer.

After a moment of silence, tears started to form in the corner of her eyes as she whimpered softly.

(S-she is crying?! Shit!)

"Ellie...I want to be able to tell you everything, but this time I can't say. I can only tell you that it has something to do with the unusual power that I have."I shake my head as I stood up, and carefully wrapped my arms around Ellie.

Ellie's POV-----------

The pleasant feeling of his arms around me made me feel safe, but the tears continued to fall down my cheeks as I thought about not seeing him for years.

(I-I just want to know everything about him so that maybe...) I grasped his shirt, holding onto it even more tightly as if it was going to make him stay. I started crying out softly as I placed my face against his chest.

"E-Ellie?"Ian tries to force me away, but I refused to let go of him.

Time seemed to slow down for me as I cried, but soon I would pull away from him, wiping my eyes with the sleeves of my shirt. I then gaze up into his crystal-clear blue eyes.

"C-can you take me to the usual place today?" I asked as if Ian was a person who always said no to me, but he would always grant my requests whenever he could.

"O-of course I can," Ian answered as he smiled a bit weakly.

Ian immediately helped me into my wheelchair that was parked nearby and soon we were out in the streets of Aldine. The feeling of the gentle wind against my face always seemed to soothe me. It would take a little bit longer to get the usual place as I saw Ian possessed something on his mind.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Once we were on the grassy hill with the solitary tree, my mood became a lot better in an instant. I always enjoyed this place because I could feel the wind wrapping around my body, imparting me with strength. I would still find it strange how I felt invigorated by the wind, but this unique place also possessed another reason why I treasure it so much.

Five years ago-----------------

A more adolescent version of Ellie was quite the prankster as a kid. She had become an orphan not too long ago and cheered herself up by playing pranks on the kids who played nearby. Ellie was quite despised by the local kids in the area from all of her elaborate pranks. They could never capture her because of her nimble feet that propelled her as if she was the wind itself!

One particular day I decided to cover the playground equipment with near-invisible slippery oil. I didn't have to wait for a long time before my first two victims arrived on the scene. I would quickly find a hiding spot before they reached the playground.

I observed the two boys I usually pull pranks on slip and fall constantly all over the playground as they naturally wondered what was going on.

"Hahahaha! You guys look like idiots slipping everywhere!"I slipped out of my hiding spot, holding my stomach while I laughed at the miserable state the boys.

"Y-you! Again?!"

"L-Let's get her!"

The two boys started to chase me all over the neighborhood, but they had no chance of catching up to my speed!

"W-we... are going to get you, Ellie!!"One kid screamed as he was starting to feel faint after running around so much.

"Idiot! No one catches me! You might as well give up! Hahahaha!"I enjoyed the feeling of the wind flowing through my hair as I ran throughout the familiar streets. I wasn't even breaking a sweat as I dodged the countless people walking around in the bustling city.

The lively chase would finally end on top of a grassy hill where a solitary tree stood.

"W-we...got...you now!!" One of the boys shouted as he gasped for air.

"Really? I just thought you guys needed a break! I could have left you guys behind at any time!"I would smirk as I leaned against the tree with her arms crossed triumphantly.

(No one can catch me even in 50 years! I...huh??)

I instantly lose all feeling in my legs, and immediately fell to my knees.

"Huh...?"

"It looks like...Ellie here gets tired just like the rest of us."

"Yeah, thankfully you were so gracious in giving us a little break."

The two boys laughed as they closed in on me with intentions of obtaining their revenge. The two naturally had enough of the little girl who has made a fool out of them and countless others!

"S-stay back! I'm warning you!"I shivered in fear as I tried lifting myself up from the ground with the help of the tree.

"No one is going to stop us!"

"We are going to beat you up!"

The two boys grabbed hold of me, pulling on my hair as I screamed hysterically. (I regret doing all of those pranks!)

"Hey...you guys are disturbing my nap!"The voice of an adolescent boy could be heard above them in the tree!

"Huh? Gaaah!!!" One of the kids instantly found themselves tumbling down the hill in pain after the black-haired boy kicked their face.

"W-what did you just do?!" The other kid lets go of my hair and throw a punch at the boy who jumped out of the tree. The boy looked quite handsome in my eyes as he easily dodged the boy's fist and tripped him with his leg.

"Ahhhhh!!" The boy tumbles down the grassy hill the same way the other one did

"W-we will get you two back! Just you wait for Ellie!!"The two boys fled the scene as quickly as their feet could carry them. The two weren't fighters, but they could clearly tell they stood no chance against the boy who appeared.

"T-thank-you..."I softly said as I felt my heart beating fiercely in my chest while I gazed at the boy. The boy was nearly covered in bandages, but it didn't seem like he was in pain at all.

"Can you stand?"The boy said as he looked at me indifferently with his beautiful blue eyes and at the moment I realized I was in love...

"I...I can't feel my legs at all..."The feeling of love was quickly replaced with the sense of loss as I remembered I couldn't move my legs at all. Tears started to fall down my cheeks as I cried out.

"I c-can't walk *hiccup*...m-my legs."I continued crying as the loss of feeling in my legs reminds of my parents who also went missing strangely. (H-how am I going to live now...)

"Huh?" I suddenly stopped crying as I felt myself being picked up into the air. The boy started carrying me down the hill in his arms with little effort.

"I'll take you to the hospital."The boy softly said. I started to feel my heartbeat faster once again as I gripped the boy's shirt tightly.

The boy showed no signs of exhaustion as he carried me to the hospital. The feeling of being carried reminded me how my parents used to carry me, and soon I would fall asleep in his arms.

The next moment I found myself in a hospital bed, "Where...am I?"

I looked around the room, and immediately everything that happened to me yesterday started pouring into my mind.

"My feet..." I muttered as I tried to wiggle my toes, but still, they wouldn't move an inch. I began crying from the loss.

(What do I have left if I can't run anymore?! Mom! Papa!)

"What's wrong?!" A nurse asked as she dashed into the room and earnestly tried to calm me down with no luck at all.

But suddenly the boy who saved me strolled into the room.

"Hey, you still can't walk?" The boy asked as he walked to my bedside.

"N-no..."I said timidly as I quickly wiped the tears away from my face. (I can't keep crying in front of him!)

The nurse sighed with relief as I showed signs of calming down.

"Just call for me if you need anything, Ok?" The nurse said with a smile as there was an odd glint in her eyes. I could have sworn I heard snickering as she left the room.

"Oh...Well, I talked to my Captain yesterday, and he said you could stay here to receive treatment until your legs get better."The boy said as he showed a brilliant smile which further deepened my feelings for him.

"C-captain?" I asked as I stared at him. The boy started to flex his non-existent muscles.

"Yeah! I'm a fierce pirate under the famous Captain Liam of the Axe Lions. Can't you see these mighty muscles?" The boy asked as he grinned.

"What?..." I stared at the boy blankly before I started to laugh at him while clutching my stomach.

"What's so funny?!"The boy gnashed his teeth in anger as he clenched his fists, "I really am a pirate! Ian Zielaster! Don't you forget it!"

I continued laughing at the boy until some tears formed in my eyes which made the boy even angrier. Finally, after a few moments, I then stop to gaze at the boy.

"Ok, Ian Zielaster fierce pirate of the mighty sea. My name is Elisa Anvindr, but just call me Ellie."I showed the boy the perfect smile I could ever make as I held my hand out to him.

"Ugh..." The boy groaned in mild annoyance, but he ultimately grabbed my hand.

Present Time/Ellie's POV---------

Although I still can't use my legs at all, the next several years was absolute bliss after I really had come to know more about Ian.

I looked up at Ian who was trying so hard to cheer me up with some casual jokes. A smile slowly formed on my lips.

We would stay on top of that hill for a while before we walked back down into the city. My mind had become quite clear as Ian finally wheeled me back into the hospital after several hours. We waved goodbye to each other as he left to go back to his home.

Once he was out of sight, I then clench my fist tightly.

(If he thinks he can leave me here for several years by myself...Then he should think again! You won't get rid of me, Ian!)