Feel An Uneasy Beating

"Hmph!"

Aranea and Elenea's body stiffened when Zann suddenly stood up. They saw the anger and frustration in Zann's face, his words further surprising them.

"I don't want to continue this kind of talk anymore—this is making me look like a bad guy," he commented, Leonel, rolling his eyes at him.

"We were just telling them how we began to fight. It was when I started helping you," he said, Zann, looking down on him while Leonel was still sitting on the tree stump he was resting on.

"I wanted to help you that time, but you pushed me away and attempted to attack me."

Zann scoffed, rolling his eyes at the same time. A mocking laugh then came from him, making Leonel feel as if he had told the Fire Familiar something stupid.

"Imagine how I felt before—hearing those negative words around me, being constantly compared to how great you are? How could I not act this way?"

When Leonel heard what he said, he instantly became quiet, making Zann scoff once more, continuing to state his point.

"You have no idea how much I suffered all those years—being compared to past people who didn't even have any personal connection with me. You have no idea that as I grew up, it did not only give me struggle with my magic, but I also struggled emotionally being constantly looked down upon no matter how much I worked hard."

Leonel did not expect Zann to tell him this much. Ever since their training and rivalry had started, Zann did not speak much to him unless it was needed during their trainings and out of their realm quests, or when their master asks them to.

Even with this in thought, Leonel stood up, his face nonchalant as he replied to what Zann had said.

"But even then, I was willing to be your friend—I was willing to help you. How could you escape from the others' wrath if those fires you set me on became worse? You attacked me!"

When Zann grabbed Leonel by the shirt, Aranea and Elenea stood up, their Summoner, standing in between them as she held Zann with her right hand, Leonel with his left.

"Stop it, both of you!"

Aranea's voice resounded in Stygian Forest, sounding firm. Elenea looked at the three worriedly, her hand on her chest as she watched what was happening in front of her.

"This happened in the past, didn't it? Why not put them aside—both of you are serving the same Summoner and seeing you this way is not helping me calm down at all!"

With what Aranea said, Zann harshly let go of Leonel's shirt. He still glared at Leonel, the Water Familiar still holding his head high as he did not avert his gaze away from his rival.

"I know that attacking you was below the belt," Zann admitted, "But the emotional turmoil I felt that day was immense—until now, it continued to haunt me."

Leonel didn't know what to say. He had to admit that with what Zann had said, he was right—and only now that he heard about him struggling about it until now.

He felt bad that it never crossed his mind—how Zann might've felt when he was being constantly compared to people who isn't him—Zann being compared to him as well.

It did not even cross his mind how he felt as he grew up every day, training with him and the other familiars until they grew up—until Zann's disappearance from their realm happened.

'Zann… he has endured this much?'

The Fire Familiar then looked at the twins. He then cocked his head to the side as he gave them both a fake smile before walking away.

"I'd appreciate it if you guys don't bother us much about how we became rivals and why we aren't close friends. From what you heard from the surface, you probably know how it escalated until our teenage years, yeah? Both of you are not that stupid."

When he started walking away in large strides, Aranea widened her eyes in worry as she followed his familiar, chasing after him so as to not make him wander off to far.

"Zann, wait!"

Leonel and Elenea were left in the campfire. With Aranea running off to chase Zann, Elenea sighed as she sat back down on her tree stump, both of her hands propped under her chin as her elbows rested on her knees.

"Now, what are we gonna do, Leonel?" she asked, her voice down with their disappearance. "They're not gonna get lost in this forest, no?"

Leonel sighed exasperatedly. He sat back down on his tree stump, staring blankly at the fire Zann had lit up for them.

"They're not going to get lost," he mumbled, but it was enough for Elenea to hear. "She's with Zann. Knowing him, he knows this place well—he would go back with your twin sister in one piece."

***

"Zann! Zann, wait!"

Aranea started running after him. Zann had long legs so he walked in large strides, leaving Aranea with no choice but to run after him.

"Zann! Hey!"

The moment Aranea caught up to him, she held him by the wrist, making Zann stop in his tracks as he harshly shook his arm, making Aranea let him go.

"Why did you even follow me?"

"W-will you please just… stop for a second!?"

Aranea panted as she was catching her breath. Seeing their Summoner this way, Zann had no choice but to listen to her.

He rolled his eyes at her as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for her to calm down.

"You could just let me go. I just needed to calm myself down alone—I'd go back in the camp site after half an hour," he said, Aranea shaking her head to disagree.

The Summoner then raised her head, her green, worried eyes locked with Zann's fiery, scarlet eyes. Aranea furrowed her brows, pouting at the same time as her soft voice tugged the Fire Familiar's heart strings, making him feel an uneasy beating in his heart.

"How could I leave you alone when you needed someone to be by your side?"