Warning: This Story contains sensitive content including Sexual Harassment and PTSD
Dear Reader,
Before delving into the pages of this story, I feel it is essential to issue a warning about the sensitive themes portrayed within its narrative. The story touches upon subjects that may be distressing or triggering to some individuals, namely Sexual Harassment and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Sexual Harassment: Throughout the course of the story, you will encounter scenes or discussions depicting instances of sexual harassment. These may include inappropriate advances, unwelcome behavior, oruncomfortable situations that characters may face. Such content may be distressing for readers who have experienced similar situations or find this topic particularly distressing. If you have experienced it yourself you are not alone.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): The book also explores characters dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from various traumatic events. These events and their effects on the characters’ lives are portrayed in an attempt to provide insight into their struggles. However, we acknowledge that the detailed depiction of PTSD might be unsettling or triggering for readers who have had traumatic experiences or are dealing with PTSD themselves. If you find yourself uncomfortable or distressed while reading about these themes, we encourage you to prioritize your mental and emotional well-being. It is perfectly acceptable to put the book down and seek support from friends, family, or professionals if needed.
- Lastly, I would like to remind readers that everyone’s experiences and reactions to these themes may differ. Approach this story with caution and mindfulness, and be kind to yourself as you engage with its content. With the utmost respect for readers,
-Reese Nodes
Wings of Resilience
“Now I am free, now I am happy, now I will always be me, not a monster.”
~プロローグ~ Prologue
Aviaria is the home of the bird people. The Bird People are similar to humans, but the difference is that they have bird-like features. Kira Melendez, a 15-year-old girl, is learning the truth about the world up in the clouds. Her entire life, she had been looking for her partner. The bird people had a rule that during their teen years, they needed to find their wing partner or their “Wing Pair.” However, this rule was not enforced for those who felt they had a lack of romantic interest in others.
During this time, she had eyes for one person only, Trystan Britland. She had known him since she was 12 years old and considered him her best friend. Trystan was one year younger, but that didn’t stop Kira from having eyes for him. For the past few months, they’d been flirting with one another, having movie nights, or just flying in the sky together. Trystian even made some art pieces for her, which made Kira extremely happy. This helped Kira gain the confidence to confess her feelings to him.
One night, they were laying on a fluffy cloud after having a great time together. Trystan and Kira looked into each other’s eyes, and Kira said these words: “I like you, Trystian. I have for a while now.” Trystian was stunned by the words that came out of her mouth. He stumbled with his words, but Kira stopped him halfway through his thought. “You don’t have to give me a response,” she said. She got up from the cloud, looked at him, and then extended her wings out. “I just thought you should know,” she added before flying back home. She was relieved that she told him how she felt, but at the same time, she thought she screwed up. She questioned herself, thinking, “Why the hell did I do that?! I know I have to have a pair at this age, but did I say this too early? Did I get the wrong signals?” She pondered all of this as she was flying home. That night she went to sleep without messaging Trystian at all, hoping that fate would be on her side.
~何か新しいことの始まり~ Start of Something New
Kira and Trystian hadn’t talked for a few weeks. At this point, she had assumed that he had no feelings toward her. Kira was preparing for a trip with her family to visit the mainland, yet the buzz from her phone distracted her. It was from Trystian and read as follows: “Kira, I was thinking about what you said, and I like you back. But can we maybe take this a bit slowly? I don’t think I’m ready for anything really serious yet.” Kira’s face lit up; she had finally found her wing pair. She screamed in joy as she extended her wings and flew around, excitedly responding to him with “Of course, I’m just really excited!” Kira finally had the privilege to say that she had a boyfriend, though she found out before going on her trip to the mainland.
Kira returned home after letting out all of her excitement regarding the news. When Kira’s mother noticed her joyful spirit, she asked, “What’s making you so cheerful this evening?” Kira responded, “I got myself a Wing Pair!” Her mother was shocked; she knew that Kira had liked someone and was interested in Trystian, but she would have never guessed that they would have become a thing. Kira went on her trip excited to see the mainland for the first time and to say that she finally had a pair.
Throughout her trip on the mainland, Trystian and she were texting and calling nonstop. Kira was still in disbelief that she had gotten herself a pair.
~第一印象~ First Impressions
It had been a few months since the two of them had started dating, yet Trystian and Kira had finally had their first kiss with one another, a night that Kira would never forget.
One afternoon, Trystian’s younger cousins were flying around, playing hide and seek. Then all of a sudden, one of them bumped into Kira, causing her to fall over. The little boy asked, “Hey, are you alright?” Kira responded, “Yeah, I am okay.” As she got up and fixed her hair and wings, the boy looked at her intrigued, trying to figure out who she was. The boy asked Trystian, “Who is that?” to which he responded, “That is my girlfriend and wing partner, Kira.”
Kira’s face turned bright red, as it was the first time he had ever referred to her as his girlfriend. She excitedly responded to Trystian’s comment, “Yes! Hello there, I am Kira, Trystian’s Girlfriend!” She reached out her hand to shake the little boy’s hand. They exchanged names and greetings, but as soon as the boy was there, he was gone. After the boy flew away, Trystian asked if Kira wanted to head back to his place, and she agreed.
Trystian and Kira held hands as they flew back to his place. When they arrived back, they went to a secret place within the cloud, which Kira saw nothing to worry about, as she trusted him. They were Wing Pairs; he wouldn’t hurt her, would he?
~裏切りの影~ Shadows of Betrayal
CONTENT WARNING: CONTAINS SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Trystian opened the door for Kira to a small cage with a couch that was larger than average; one could say it was the size of a full-sized bed. Behind the bed was a restroom, and in front of the couch was a large television. Both Kira and Trystian had enjoyed watching the sunset, so after a long afternoon socializing with others, they wanted to relax and watch the sunset.
As they sat in silence watching the sunset, it became pitch black outside. No one was around except for the two of them. Kira knew that her friends would be arriving soon to guide her home. She had brought a small bag containing her belongings, including her phone. Kira was going through her bag on the couch, trying to find her phone so she could see when her parents were coming. Her bag was on the ground, and she was leaning over from the side of the couch, on the left side of it.
Once Kira found her phone, she felt two arms from behind her pulling her back. Trystian’s cold arms held Kira, and as she froze, he pulled her in for a kiss. Kira was confused, yet she didn’t know what was happening. He pulled her closer, placing himself on her lap, holding her tight as if she was a baby. Kira wanted to do something, to slap him or react in some way, but she felt helpless. Carefully, she tried to pull herself away because she heard her phone ringing; her parents were calling her.
Kira pulled her arm out, but it was no use; he pulled her back and whispered in her ear, “Just ten more minutes.” Before she knew it, he pulled her back again. She felt helpless and scared. At this point, she was scared, but if she tried anything, she felt as if it would hurt her more. Everything was so vivid to her, and she doesn’t even remember what he said to her as this all happened. She remembers him getting on top of her and excessively kissing her.
She didn’t know when it was going to end or if it would end. Right then and there, Trystian unveiled his true side; he was a Raven. Ravens were masters of disguise in the land of Aviaria. They took advantage of people when they were at their most vulnerable. After the Raven felt it had the satisfaction it needed, it left Kira in the cage, locked.
~望まぬ真実~ Unwanted Truth
Kira lay there speechless, confused about what had just happened. However, once she realized the cage was locked, she knew that she had been used, her body violated, and that she had been harassed. The feeling of violation sank in for her.
“It’s my fault…” Kira trembled. She knew she could never tell anyone what happened. Even if or when she would, this bird is to be proclaimed a monster.
That night, once Kira fell asleep, she had a dream or more like a nightmare. It was exactly what happened that night, but it didn’t feel like a dream. To Kira, it felt as if she was back there again, feeling the Raven’s cold arms and hearing the whisper of “Just ten more minutes.” The sound of those words reentered Kira’s ears, causing her to wake up in a cold sweat. Kira wished it had only been a dream, but she was still stuck in the cage.
~天使と悪魔~ Angels and Devils
It had been a few months since Kira was trapped in the cage. She had seen some birds fly by her cage but hadn’t acknowledged her. Some had asked her if she was okay, to which Kira would always respond, “I’m okay.” Whenever she would say that she was ‘Okay,’ Kira’s bird devil would appear.
In Aviaria, everyone had their own bird angel and bird devil. These creatures would only appear for their hosts, and only the hosts could hear and see them or interact with them. One’s Bird Angel and Devil would appear when one is struggling to make a decision or when they are facing general struggles.
Kira’s bird devil had been around for a while, ever since the day she was trapped in the cage. “You know that if you say something, no one will love you, right?” the devil stated with a smirk. Kira looked back at her devil and believed she was right. ‘Keeping it in is protecting myself’ is a philosophy that she had believed in for months; it’s what her devil taught her because her angel hadn’t been around to help or give advice. So, she went along with everything her devil would tell her. Kira wanted to protect herself from others, and if that meant that she was going to hurt herself in the process, she was okay with it.
~ラグドール~ The Ragdoll
Six months had passed since Kira had been trapped in the cage. One sunny afternoon, as Kira rested in her cage, a ball flew into the cage, hitting her in the back of her head. She looked back in fury and exclaimed, “Hey!” She saw a bird outside her cage; it was a guy. Kira, at this point 16, still knew about the Wing Pair rule.
The boy waved his hand, signaling for Kira to come closer. Kira got up and approached the cage as close as she could. The boy introduced himself, saying, “My name is Liam Corleone.” Kira hesitantly responded, “Kira.” Liam looked at her for a moment and said, “You’re kinda cute. Wanna come on out of that cage?” She looked at him and thought to herself, “It had been a few months since it happened, and the probability of something like that happening again is slim… maybe I should give this a try?”
At that moment, the cage doors opened, and she felt the breeze of the wind for the first time in months. However, just as she felt the breeze and the freedom, Liam placed his hands behind her, grabbing her chest, and chucking her back into the cage. Kira had been tricked again. She felt as if she was a ragdoll, used by people, thrown and tossed for others’ entertainment. She felt like a broken toy, a broken bird—still a monster; not to be loved, but to be used.
~輝く星~ A Shining Star
Kira had spent months within the cage, protecting herself and viewing herself as a monster. Her wings had been pressed back for so long that she forgot she even had them. She felt as if her wings had been removed, torn off of her back.
She had felt alone for so long; it had been almost two years since she was thrown into the cage. Kira felt as if she’d never escape the wrath of the cage; her body would never truly be hers again. Her body had so many bruises and markings from others who had hurt her. “I am a monster…” Kira would tell herself, over and over again.
One night, as she rested within the cold walls of the cage, Kira saw a star, one shining star. She looked at that one shining star and closed her eyes. Kira clasped her hands together in prayer and whispered, “Please, I want to find someone who will love me for me, and not my body.” She expressed her wish, hoping that the star would hear her. A cloud went over the star, and Kira wasn’t able to see it anymore. Once the star was gone from her view, she went to sleep, hoping that her wish would come true.
~ヒーリング~ Healing
Two months had passed since she made her wish, and Kira had completely forgotten about it. On this bright summer day, Kira was admiring the view from the cage as usual. A bird flew past her cage, and she didn’t think much of it, but then she heard a soft voice from behind. “Hello there.” Kira got up from where she was and saw a young boy with his hands placed onto the cage. His fluffy dark brown hair, brown eyes, and Australian accent piqued Kira’s interest.
She walked towards him and said, “Hi, my name is Kira.” They looked at each other, and the boy responded, “My name is Makis.” He noticed something about Kira, something was wrong; he could tell just by looking at her that she was suffering. Makis asked, “Are you alright?” Kira was ready to respond with the usual “I’m okay,” but something about him made her unable to say that she was okay.
Deep down, she knew that she wasn’t okay. Tears began running down her face, and she mumbled, “No… I’m not okay.” After saying those words, she noticed the walls of the cage began to crumble. Makis looked at her, knowing that she was in pain and in trouble. He wanted to help her; he knew just by looking at her eyes that she’d been in pain and heartbroken. “Take my hand,” Makis said as he reached his hand toward Kira.
Tears running down her face, she reached her hand out to Makis, grabbing it tightly. Makis pulled her towards him, breaking the walls of the cage. He had saved her, not hurt her. Kira realized that the walls of the cage were gone and that she was free. She hugged Makis and told him everything. Kira shared what happened and that she felt like a monster. He comforted her as she cried in his arms. For the first time in a while, she felt her wings expanding out. She wailed, “It’s all my fault!” Makis held her close and consoled her. “It is not your fault, you are strong Kira, stronger than I am.” Those words and that moment were what Kira needed. She needed to hear that it wasn’t her fault. Her wings lifted and expanded. Kira wiped her tears, and Makis helped her clean up as well.
Makis said to Kira, “I want to help you, I’ve been through stuff too. Kira, if you will allow me to, let us heal together.” Kira looked at Makis and responded, “I want help from you.” Makis looked at her with a smile and kissed her on her forehead. He whispered into her ear, “Let us get better together.” They grabbed each other’s hands and flew away, free from the pain.
Kira learned something from being out of the cage. She was able to dive deeper into the unknown, rather than staying fixated in fear and pain. Kira knew, “Now I am free, now I am happy, now I will always be me, not a monster.”
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