Topaz Wind

Mom? Do you think I'll ever find a girlfriend?

Of course, dear. Why do you ask?

All of my friends in college have a job and are happy already with pretty girlfriends.

Chirus, my dear, you're so cute. You shouldn't worry if everyone else seems ahead of you. God has great plans for my wonderful son. Your pharmacist's path is critical for people's health. Your work will also provide financial security for you, your future wife, and your future children.

But I've never dated, and no girl thinks I'm worth taking.

Let me tell you a secret. God will give you the most beautiful wife and bless you more than those rushed youngsters. For Jesus declared the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Have faith; God is preparing my dearest son for the best girl he is saving for you.

***

Dad, why did Valiesha dump me for an Endroman? She was my very first girlfriend after waiting so long. Was all my hard work for nothing? Did I not manage my time well?

Chirus, it's not your fault. She was impatient. Sometimes, we say things we don't mean when we are mad. Your mom is like that all the time, you know!

Oh, stop it! You are like that, too! But your dad's not wrong. Maybe Valiesha didn't mean to say that. Give her some time. Studying at Dessix will give her plenty of time to realize what she said. If not, then alright, she wasn't the right one for you. Who knows? Let's trust in the Lord's plan.

***

Mom! Dad! The bus is here!

Alright, dear. Do you have everything you need?

Yes, Mom.

Chirus, my dear. We love you so much. We'll miss you dearly.

Chirus, always believe in God's plan for you. Don't lose faith in him. Whatever happens with Valiesha is also in God's hands. Never forget God's favor upon you. We love you, Chirus.

I love you, too.

***

That was the last time I saw my parents. I'm not sure if they're still alive. Chirus dreamt.

He recalled his undergraduate days, remembering interactions with female classmates that made him question his worth to Valiesha.

***

"I did warn her that section would be in the exam, but she didn't listen," Chirus told a female medical student.

"Well, yeah, she's a girl. She's not supposed to listen to a man," She joked.

"Uh, sure," Chirus blinked, uncertain if this was a joke to be taken seriously. Does that mean if I say something to help a girl, she won't listen? I guess that applies to Valiesh?

***

"Ugh, men suck!" A female colleague hung up a doctor's call.

"Uh... why?" Chirus counted pills on a tray.

"I told him what I want twice!"

"I-is that bad?"

"I made sure I was clear the first time, but he made me go through everything again!"

"Maybe as a doctor, he wanted to confirm not to make any errors."

"But the girl nurses understand me quickly while the guy doctors are slow," She pointed to her head. "Men need to use common sense sometimes. No offense, Chirus."

"Wow, okay," Chirus mumbled. Alright, I suck, I guess. Did Valiesh dump me because I was too slow? I didn't have the common sense to maintain a relationship.

***

"Can you help unlock the door, Chirus?" Another female student, holding a paper in one hand, asked.

"Yeah, I can," Chirus dug into his pocket with his left hand.

He struggled since his right hand was holding an important document.

"Could you hold this paper?" Chirus asked the girl since she had a free hand.

"What? Why?" The girl with free hands questioned. "I am carrying something already."

"Uh, I can't turn keys with my left hand? So I am switching to my right."

"You know what? Never mind. I'll unlock it myself."

"Huh? What?" Chirus saw her swipe the keys from him.

"You men can't multitask! We women can shop, cook, carry, and clean simultaneously! We ask men to do one simple thing, and you can't do it!"

I don't understand. She had a free hand, and her other hand only carried a piece of paper! My mind cannot comprehend this interaction. Am I supposed to be ambidextrous? Does Valiesh have expectations of me I am unaware of?

***

Chirus then remembered overhearing some female classmates joke around.

"We're strong, independent women! We don't need a man to tell us what to do!"

"Yeah, we don't need relationships to survive!"

"You put women in the wild they'll survive just fine without men! Put men in the wild; they just die off."

"Haha, boys are so dependent on getting love from us? Men are so weak."

I'm not sure how I feel about these jokes. If a man like myself is considered weak, is that why Valiesh dumped me?

If girls think there is no need for men, is there a woman who would love me? Has Valiesh truly abandoned me? This isn't right! Am I wrong to dislike these jokes?

I'm working hard to become a good husband for a future family! Am I doing enough, Lord? Are you planning a happy future for me? God, forgive me for questioning your plan for me!

***

"Chirus! Chirus! Do you hear me? Are you there?"

"Give up, Valiesha! He's all mine! Arkanis will be mine!"

Chirus opened his eyes to find himself in the air. He was above the ruins of Dessix, where the Enaga girls battled the Skelengel army with the surviving students. Chirus' frail body ached from Edgemoth's IV lines deep within his flesh.

He saw Matriarch Senri riding on the mechanical moth holding a scepter. Senri launched green skull fireballs at someone. He turned to see a familiar blue-haired girl riding on a flying Shima Enaga, chasing him in tears.

"Chirus! Can you hear me? I was so dumb! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!" Valiesha and her bird dodged the skulls of screaming undead souls. "I was wrong! You were working for my future, and I was so immature!"

"Valiesh? Valiesh!" Chirus cried. "I'm so sorry I didn't manage my time well with you! I'm sorry I was a bad boyfriend!"

"Waahhh! You don't need to say sorry! I was the idiot! I love you, Chirus!"

Senri rolled her eyes. "Edgemoth! End this soap opera! Topaz Wind!"

The mechanical demon flapped its sharp wings to blow Valiesha and her bird away with a razor tornado.

"No! Valiesh!" Chirus shrieked until Edgemoth drank more of his blood with its IV line legs.

As Chirus felt dizzy, Senri and Edgemoth landed at the mansion. The Matriarch took Chirus and ordered Edgemoth to guard the entrance.

Finally, I can live happily ever after with Arkanis! Senri slammed her scepter at the mansion's entrance.

Her scepter summoned undead skeletons from their burial grounds. Senri's spell dismantled their bones, forming a spiked barricade surrounding the mansion that provided cover for Edgemoth and the remaining Skelengel guards. Senri then yanked Chirus by his hair and dragged him across the floor into her mansion.

"What are you doing, Senri?" Chirus yelled in pain. "I first thought you were a nice person! When I gave you the flu shot, I thought you were pretty! You treated me so nicely that time! Why are you acting like a different person?"

"I thought being kind to you would keep you in place, but you decided to break the rules with Shyrin's meddling brothers! Now I have no choice but to drag your butt to Jezebel myself!"

"To get your husband back?" Chirus struggled to pry Senri's hands off his hair. "You're sacrificing every other guy to get him back! Don't you realize that?"

"I know that well, Chirus."

"Don't you care about them?" Chirus kicked Senri away. "What about the rebel girls out there? They're fighting you because you took their boyfriends away! Do you care about their happiness?"

"If the world took Arkanis from me, why should I care about anyone else?" Senri's slit green pupils gleamed wrathfully from her red eyes.

Despite Senri's beauty, her cat-like pupils gave Chirus chills. It felt like bugs crawling under his skin when staring into Senri's enlarged eyes.

"My husband died early in our marriage, but every other girl lived happily with theirs! So what right does every other girl have to be happy with their marriage?"

Terrified of Senri, Chirus turned to run outside.

"Arkanis was the perfect doctor husband, just like you are to Valiesha. It's not fair if she has what was taken from me!"

When Chirus reached the exit, a thick gray mist of steel particles blocked his path. The fog became an alluring curved figure of an enchantress. Her face was black and white with one top and bottom eye and an S-shaped mouth in between like a yin-yang.

The enchantress waved her hands in a circular motion. Chirus' pupils rolled in circles as the yin-yang face looked like it was spinning, hypnotizing him into a deep slumber. Her S-shaped mouth then opened wide for a bite of Chirus' face.

"Not so fast, Jinshu," Senri stopped her. "You help Edgemoth defend the perimeter! Then, I'll convince Jezebel to share him with you!"