Trials of Astania Prompt:
Usage of the words sea/ocean, trail/path, navigate, and time.

Words used: Ocean, path, navigate, and time. All words can be found throughout the story.

This is my first time attempting a partial sci-fi story, lol.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of attempted suicide.
Reader discretion is advised.

Today was our last day together. The knowledge tugged painfully at my heart as each minute ticked off, inching closer and closer to the moment when my girlfriend, Aurélia, and I would be separated forever. I would have never thought in a million years that our time would be short. But life has a way of throwing surprises in your path, causing you to trip over them and fall flat on your face no matter how great things are currently going.

"You ready?" Her angelic voice filled my mind with a melody as sweet as honey.

Her hands have been covering my eyes for what seemed like an hour until we finally stopped. The sound of rocks pattering hit my ears, and I immediately tensed.

"It's okay, I'm here," she whispered in my ear assuringly. Her hot breath tickled my ear, making my breath hitch.

"I'm ready," I said softly, unsure of where we were or what was about to happen.

She slowly removed her hands and wrapped them around my waist as she cradled her chin in my neck. When I opened my eyes, my breath caught in my throat as the mesmerizing sight unfolded before me.

We were standing on the edge of a cliff, the flat rocky surface a beautiful mixture of rose azalée, rapose gray, and blackberry wine. The sun was beginning to set, casting its warm glow over the calm, rippling surface of the vast ocean which disappeared into the horizon. It was as if an artist had carefully painted the flaming sunset on a canvas, the smooth blend of red, pink, orange, and yellow creating a breathtaking sight.

I glanced down and watched as the foamy waves gently clashed against the jugged rocks below, the splashing sound like the soothing feel of a cool breeze on a hot summer day.

The beach was completely empty save for a few sea turtles steadily crawling back to the water, the waves kissing the sand before drawing back and repeating the cycle.

"Do you like it?" Aurélia asked in a hushed tone as she released me.

"I love it." I turned around to face her. "But you know what's even more beautiful?"

She curiously cocked her head to the side, waiting for me to continue.

"You are. The only view more phenomenal than the sunset of this magnificence is you."

I saw her blush, the red-pink color creeping into her pale face as her lips curled up in a smile. And I wasn't exaggerating. She was the very definition of phenomenal beauty.

Her flowing curls of red hair blazed under the kiss of the sunset's dying rays. A few strands twirled in the light breeze, some clinging to her face bathed in the soft, warm glow of the fleeing sun. Her blue, sapphire eyes gazed at me with adoration as bolts of electricity danced in her irises.

She traced her finger gently along my cheek and tilted my chin up. I stood on my tippy toes so I could catch her mouth with mine; the sweet, ambrosial taste of her mouth sending flames down my body. I moaned a little as she nipped my bottom lip, the soft graze of her teeth almost too overwhelming to bear.

"I brought you something," she announced once we broke off the kiss. She took out a small box from her black jacket and opened it to reveal two round pieces of chocolate coated with bits of walnuts and cherries.

"Oh my god, I've always wanted to try this kind out!" I exclaimed with joy as I picked up one piece and took a small bite.

The gooey smoothness of the sweet-bitter chocolate together with the crunchiness of the nuts invaded my taste buds with the sensation of absolute pleasure. I closed my eyes and moaned, unable to resist doing so. I heard a stifled chuckle and reopened them to notice that Aurélia was grinning at my reaction.

"What?" I asked obliviously as I wiped the leftovers from my lips with my finger.

"I just... I love it when you make that adorable noise. Let's me know that you're being satisfied."

"With you, I'm more than satisfied," I smirked as I licked my lips and tilted my head to the side to look at her. Darkness was beginning to fall as the sun sneaked behind the horizon, bidding our part of the world a good night.

I leaned against her and laid my head on her shoulder as we gazed out at the ocean. It was deadly quiet save for the pounding sound of my heart in my ears. I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, the knowledge of the impending future casting a dark shadow over my heart and mind.

"I left marks on the path back to home in case you shall lose your way," Aurélia whispered as she kissed the top of my head.

"You know I never lose my way," I retorted as I tightened my grip around her waist and bit back the tears threatening to spill out from my moist eyes.

I heard her chuckle softly, and I took a shuddering breath as I wasn't sure if I was ready for this, for us, to end.

"Besides, you taught me how to navigate my way to any point by using the stars, remember?" I added as I lifted my head up to look at her.

"Yes. I did teach you many valuable skills, haven't I?" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Even though it was nearly dark, her blue eyes held a soft glow of light, as did her flaming red hair.

Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed the glare of a hundred or so orange lights approaching at a steady pace. They were still miles away, but we didn't have any more time.

"Are you sure you have to do this?" I whimpered as I hugged Aurélia tightly, the smell of roses and honey penetrating my nostrils.

"Yes, babygirl," she replied as she tightened her embrace and snuggled her face against my neck. "Otherwise, your world will perish. I'm the only one who can defeat them, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

I felt the warm tears cascade down my cheeks as I sniffled against her hair. We've only known each other for four months, and I've never loved anyone as I loved her. She was my diamond, my treasure, my everything. I wasn't ready to give her up. And I never will be.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I choked back the sobs that threatened to escape my lips. The gut-wrenching pain clawed at my heart, and I felt like I was suffocating underneath a rubble of emotions.

I finally released her as the orange lights were closing in, revealing themselves to be flaming torches held by the people of Valedor, a planet five billion miles away from planet Earth. The distinctive markings of the glowing flower on their foreheads were impossible to miss.

"It's time, babygirl," Aurélia said as she faced me for one last time. She has made it clear that I'll never see her again after this, because she couldn't return to Earth anymore. Not after tonight.

"I love you, Lia." I swallowed the lump in my throat as scorching hot tears finally streamed down my face like a river.

She wiped away some of my tears with the back of her hand as she bit her lip. Her eyes were moist, shining like two diamonds under the light.

"I love you too, Daphne," she whispered before stepping back as two flaming balls of fire appeared in both her hands. "I'll never forget you. You're the most beautiful, amazing, stunning, intelligent person I've ever met. Nobody can top you."

"You're the only one I've ever been under," I softly smiled as her lips curved up in an amused smile.

"I'll miss you and your humor," Aurélia chuckled lightly, and before I could restrain myself, I rushed towards her once again and cupped her face as I caught her mouth with mine. Her flaming hands singed my clothes, but I didn't care. I needed her one more time.

I wasn't ready to let her go. She was my oxygen, the air that I needed to sustain me. When she appeared in my life four months ago, I was a complete wreck. I remembered the day as if it was yesterday, the memory burning in my mind.

🥀──────────────────🥀

I was standing on the edge of the bridge, holding on to one of the beams as I looked out at the rushing river. Lightning cracked across the ominous clouds as the cold rain poured down in torrents. My soaking wet clothes stuck to my freezing body as the wind whipped my wet hair against my face. Thunder roared in the skies as the rushing water angrily bashed against the bridge structure, threatening to collapse at any given point.

Nothing mattered to me at the moment. Not the stinging pain of my ice-cold hair lashing at my skin like whip cracks, not my slippery hold on the beam, not the freezing sensation of my clothes on my body, and not the wind roaring like a freight train in my ears. The only pain I felt was the one tormenting my mind.

I couldn't handle it anymore. I've stayed strong year after year, dealing with the multiple hits and beatdowns that life has thrown at me. From growing up with a mother who demanded only perfection from me and ended up not acknowledging me as her daughter when I came out to her as a bisexual after torturing me for years. To being sexually assaulted in high school and witnessing the death of my best friend as she was murdered.

I could have done something to prevent it. I could have fought them off, been stronger, or at least attempted harder to defend her. But I didn't. All they had to do was fling me once like a bag of potatoes against the wall, and that's all it took for me to just lay there sobbing like a pathetic weakling.

They say "not all men", and yet, it's always a man. Most of them treat women like sexual objects whom they can do whatever they want. Most men don't have respect for women, and they crack jokes at the expense of women's traumas. And they will always say it's the woman's fault, that she's the one who seduced them or made them do the terrible deed.

People around me would say that it's my fault. "What were you wearing?" and "Did you do something to provoke him?" Their words poisoned my mind and turned it against me. I began to believe that it was somehow my fault. I already blamed myself for my friend's death, but I started to hate that I could have done something. Anything. And I didn't.

And that's why I stood there, ready to end it all as my tears mixed with the rain streamed down my face, the salty taste of pain and torment kissing my lips.

"What are you doing?" A powerful and husky voice asked, and I whirled around to see a tall, dark hooded figure dressed in all black standing right before me.

And in that very moment, my hand slipped from my sudden movement, and I lost my footing. I remember the feeling of panic as I  fell down into the treacherous rushing waters below. That voice had suddenly made me want to be alive, to continue fighting the battles that the universe kept throwing my way, and to quit blaming myself for things I couldn't control. To stop taking the blame for the terrible deeds that men commit. I screamed as I fell, the sounds getting lost amidst the roar of the wind as it rushed past my ears like a bullet train; when suddenly, someone grabbed me by the waist and carried me upwards.

They laid me down on the bridge walkway that was covered in small puddles, and that's when I realized that the rain had suddenly stopped. The clouds disappeared as if swatted away by a giant hand and the sun shone brightly, cascading its warmth and joyous light onto the world. The river no longer angrily flowed and the puddles were drying up as quickly as if they were being sucked into a humongous sponge.

I blinked, and the most gorgeous, breathtaking sight appeared in my line of sight. The stranger smiled, and it felt as if I was being bathed in the welcoming heat of a blazing fire in a blizzard. It warmed my heart and reignited the extinguished flame that originally flickered in there a long, long time ago.

🥀──────────────────🥀

She not only saved my life that day, she helped me realize that I'm not the one to blame. The victim is never the one at fault. The perpetrator is the one who deserves all the blame and punishment, except sadly, the patriarchal world loves to defend them.

So Aurélia took matters into her own hands and set things straight. A few days later, the headlines read 'Two Young Men Found Burned To Death In A Gruesome Manner'. Karma always found a way. And this time, it arrived in the form of a Goddess named Aurélia.

🥀──────────────────🥀

"You will forever remain in my heart for as long as I live," Aurélia gently said as the flames in her hands grew stronger and brighter. The aura around her spread a golden glow, nearly blinding me as I lifted my hand up to partially block the powerful brightness.

I watched with tears streaming down my face in rivers as she began to ascend into the air. The Valedorians were already only a couple hundred meters away, their demonic screams and enraged foreign language filling the air as Aurélia smiled down at me once more. She was not only a goddess on her own planet; she was a goddess in every aspect.

I knew that the Valedorians had to be stopped. They were a vicious, ruthless alien species intent on destroying every other living planet. True, the only living beings I didn't want to see hurt were the innocent animals, because the people I could care less about. But that didn't mean that everyone had to die at the hands of savages.

Aurélia hovered above the Valedorians, who were frantically shouting at her with their weapons drawn, their flower tattoos glowing even brighter. And with one swift, round movement of both her flaming hands, she sent a blast of flames at them and stopped when they reached the weapons, burning them to a crisp. The surprised gasps of the creatures filled the quiet night as Aurélia whirled her flame-free hands in a circular movement. Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the dark-gray clouds in a phenomenal, blinding light.

The currents of the ocean surrounding the Valedorians began to swirl around them, picking up speed and quickly transforming into a vortex. And instead of descending into the ocean, it ascended up into the air, carrying the shrieking Valedorians in their canoes on top. None of them could escape as a twenty-foot wall of water formed around them as a barrier.

Aurélia briefly glanced at me one last time as her glowing blue eyes landed on my face. Her lips curled up in a smile as she mouthed the words "I love you" before she flew upwards into the clouds, bringing the screaming vortex along with her. And suddenly, I was all alone in the darkness.

They were gone. She was gone. As I stood there in the pitch-black night, the resuming chirping sounds of crickets consuming the air, I watched a golden meteor steadily cross the starry sky. Once I lost sight of it, I closed my eyes and deeply inhaled the salty ocean air.

I am strong. I am powerful. I'm the conqueror of life. No obstacle is too difficult for me to pass, no wall too high to climb, no fire too hot to burn me, and no heartache too painful to overcome. Because Aurélia had not only taught me how to use the stars to navigate my way home.

She taught me how to fight, and to be brave in the face of danger. I learned that the universe has already laid out tests for each person, and it was completely up to me to either pass or fail them.

Aurélia had rekindled the previously dead flame inside of me, and even after she left me behind, it continued to shine brightly.

I will conquer life and show everyone that I'm a survivor in the Game of Life.