Looking around the room he shared with Tao at Academy, a school for people who perform magic or had special powers, Kris tried to recall when he began to have feelings for Tao.  The young boy was selfish.  He only did what he thought would benefit himself. 

All Kris did in this human world was try.  He tried to help Tao.  He put his own needs behind the younger.  He put his own emotions aside to help Tao save Baekhyun.  But what did it all come to?  Maybe their friendship was worthless.   

            Suddenly extreme anger and pain overcame him and he bent over.  He could feel the dragon within him struggle to take over.  The power inside him was too much for his human form and slowly his body started morphing.  Kris gritted his teeth as he tried to control it; it wouldn’t be good to transform into a dragon in their apartment.  Focusing so hard in containing his power, he didn’t hear the door swing open and his name being called.  He didn’t feel the warm but firm hands on his back and shoulder.   

            But he did see Tao look back at him with concerned eyes. 

            Kris’s vision was temporarily filtered to red.  He felt his eyes turn into rubies. 

            “I forgot,” Tao looked ashamed as he held Kris’s head in his hands, “Kris,” his words were calm and reassuring, “You got this. Stay calm.  Don’t let it control you.” 

            Kris growled and pushed Tao away.  The younger flew into the bedroom wall.  Kris’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d done.  He straightened up.  He was a little bit over seven feet tall; his body was still disfigured, a merge between dragon and human. 

            Kris couldn’t control his anger.  He was a dragon.  Dragons got angry easily and especially now that it was dragon season, his anger was at its extreme.  Soon he would transform into a dragon.  This happened once every five years.  He would have to leave to some secluded place where he could transform far from human eyes. 

            “I have to go before I turn.”

            “I’ll go with you,” Tao moved away from the wall but Kris stopped him. 

            “You know you can’t.  It’s too dangerous.”

            Tao nodded in understanding.  He gulped, “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.  I shouldn’t have yelled.” 

            Kris’s eyes turned back to brown and he returned to his regular height.  He temporarily gained control of the dragon in him. 

He remembered the fight he had with Tao.  Words were said in the heat of an argument when emotions were raw.  Kris was realizing how hopeless his feelings for Tao were.  He yelled at Tao for being stupid for trying to stop an event that would always happen.  Maybe he shouldn’t have said that to Tao but it was what he thought.  Tao needed to realize that going back in time couldn’t save Baekhyun; it only bought the younger time with the other.  Tao was bitten by Kris’s words.  He said he didn’t need Kris.  He never asked Kris to follow him back in time.  So Kris said he wouldn’t follow Tao next time.  The worst thing was: Kris meant every single word he said.

            “But you still said it, Tao.”

            “You know I need you,” Tao looked down at the ground.  There was a long silence where none of them spoke, “You’ll come back right?  After dragon season is over.” 

            “Maybe it’s better if I go back home,” Kris said silently.

            Tao stiffened, “You’re going back to the dragon realm?”  He was obviously shocked. 

            “I miss my family, Tao.  I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore,” Kris voiced his worries, “Maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be.”  He went over to the window and opened it. 

            Tao grabbed onto his arm, “I need you.  You’re my best friend.”

            “You need Baekhyun more,” Kris spit back at him. Tao’s arm fell to his side, “You won’t miss me at all.  You won’t even notice I’m gone.” 

            “That’s not true!” Tao exclaimed adamantly.  Kris looked into his eyes; he could tell Tao was scared.  He was too, “But if you want to go back to your family; I’ll be okay.  I want you to be happy.  I’m sorry…for everything.” 

            Kris turned to fully face Tao, “Don’t apologize.  I chose to follow you didn’t I?  I could’ve left anytime I wanted,” Kris put his hands on Tao’s shoulders, “But I can’t keep seeing you like this.  You change time because you want to stop Baekhyun from dying.  And each time you do, the same thing happens all over again.  You don’t learn Tao.  I’m really tired.” 

            “But maybe I can save him.”

            “You can save him by staying away from him!” Kris shouted, “Don’t you get that?  I thought you did!  That’s the reason why I followed you!  I thought you understood!” 

            “I do!  I just…we always meet anyways even though I want to stay away.” 

            “It’s because after you meet, you never leave! Goddammit!” Kris could feel the anger build up and he pushed Tao away.  It was a light push but Tao flew across the room and landed on his bed. 

            “You’re so focused on Baekhyun that you don’t even realize that I love you!”

            Tao’s eyes widened at Kris’s confession.  Kris stayed where he was; his chest heaving as he tried to control his anger. 

            There was about five minutes of silence.

            “Now you know why I can’t stay.”  Kris looked Tao in the eyes as he said this.  He wanted Tao to say something.  If Tao said at least a few words to reassure him or give him a reason to come back, then he would.  All he needed was reassurance that despite all that’s happened, it was going to get better.  Tao didn’t need to change overnight. Kris couldn’t either.  But if Tao realized that he couldn’t save Baekhyun, there was hope. 

            Tao stood where he was, his eyes widened in shock.  They were unfocused; he was thinking of something. 

Kris never thought he would leave Tao.  When he first left the dragon realm he followed Tao with undying loyalty. Saying the next words was one of the hardest things he would ever say.    

“Goodbye, Tao.”       

Without a moment’s hesitation he ran towards the open window.  He felt the wind hit him straight on as he jumped out of the window.  That’s when he opened his huge red dragon wings.  The people at this school knew he had the ability to fly.  They didn’t know he was really a dragon.  He flapped his wings as he stayed outside of the building and stared into his room.  His old room.  He was closing one chapter of his life. 

He saw Tao stir and hesitated.  But Tao didn’t come closer to the window.  Kris turned and flew off at full speed away from Academy.  He was heading home. 

Tao saw Kris go.  He saw his friend’s figure fly away.  And he didn’t do anything. He stood frozen on the spot, speechless.  His mind didn’t register what happened until long after. 

            Kris was his best friend; they’d been best friends for over 100 years.  Kris time travelled with Tao and it’d always been like this.  Tao didn’t know his best friend was in love with him.  This was a shock because the only reason why Tao time travelled was because he was in love with Baekhyun.  For as long as Tao could remember Baekhyun always died shortly after meeting Tao. Tao time travelled back in time because of Baekhyun, hoping each time, he would be able to save the boy he loved.    

            He’d been oblivious to his best friend’s feelings and because of that Kris didn’t want to come back. 

            Tao didn’t want Kris to go back to the dragon realm.  He didn’t want Kris to leave him...especially after what was said. 

            Tao was using his power before he realized what he was doing.  He only needed to turn back the clock an hour.  He had to stop Kris from leaving for good.  He was going to ask Kris to come back after dragon season was over. He was going to reason with Kris and tell him that this time things would be different.  There would be no more time travelling. 

            The only problem was Kris wasn’t human.  He was a dragon.  The human world had no effect on him.  So when Tao turned back the clock an hour, Kris was still gone.  The only reason why Kris could time travel with Tao, the only reason Kris was the only one who could time travel with Tao was because he was unaffected by anything that happened in the human world.  He never actually time travelled with Tao.  He just existed as he was.  Dragons were their own separate entity in the human world; they lived according to their own time. 

It might be an hour before but Kris was still flying towards his home, unaffected by the time change.

            Tao realized he might never see Kris again.