Nephilims. Creatures who vary in different forms but were all common in some ways. They were descendants of angels and humans—two beings that were not meant to fall in love and procreate. The body of a human, but possessed such strength and power of an angel. A sin in the eyes of the heavens and was punished to serve the gods forever in exchange. Once the great war between heaven and hell ended, they were set free and were given the freedom to live on earth.

Icarus Lir at the age of five was warned not to get too close to the human populace that inhabited their town in great numbers. His family, the Lir family, not only restricted his movements but even people he should make friends with.

Individuals who come from poor families were not allowed. Those belonging to the demon race or any of those who were associated with dark magic and power were not allowed as well. And most of all, human beings were taboo to be with according to his parents. They were the descendants of great winged creatures that inhabited the skies eons ago and were not to make friends with those who toiled the soils. Humans, who tinted their pure heavenly blood, were frowned upon by the Lir family.

Yet, anyone would call the Lir family hypocrites when the Solentine family moved to the unoccupied manor next to theirs on one autumn day. As far as everyone knew, Margareth Solentine was from a family of noble lineage bearing the title of Lady. She never mentioned ever having a husband nor a child so it surprised the Lir family to see a boy that is of the same age as Icarus strolling in the garden visible from their window on the third story of their manor.

“You can make friends with the young lad, Icarus.”

Confused at his father’s words, the six-year-old Icarus glanced up at him with a frown. “But Father, I thought we weren’t supposed to come close to humans? You told me before that nothing good would come out of becoming friends with them. Why do you want me to get close to that boy?”

With just one solemn look that was from his father, Icarus went silent. Exhaling aloud, the proud man placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and pointed at the boy in the garden. “Icarus, just listen to me. The young man is different from other human people, especially since he is from a noble family. It would be of great help if we could become friends with someone who is of noble birth.”

The patriarch of the Lir family, Johovan Lir, was a man who wanted power and connections with the royal family despite them being of different species and how it contradicted their vows not to come close to humans. This bewildered Icarus even more.

What is so special with the Solentine family next door? They were not of royal birth, let alone connected to the king or queen of this country.

Rumors of the noblewoman having an affair and boring an illegitimate offspring spread across the place due to the Lir family’s patriarch and his wife. Even the Lir family, who vowed to mind their own business, was intrigued by their human neighbors who showed no signs of retaliation; despite the people who were the reason why such gossip spread was living next to them. Everyone was naturally curious as to who the boy was and after spying on him from their window, Icarus was like a moth to a flame.

Who is he?

Mustering the courage as he would before sleeping in his dark bedroom in an attempt to be mature, Icarus ran down the stairs and past his sisters and mother busy chattering in the parlor—into the little garden they had to peek through the fences that were as tall as him. Icarus wanted to know who the boy was.

The moment he saw the young master up close, he froze. A song. He swore he heard singing close to be hailed as an angel as sunlight poured down at the strange yet captivating boy. Hair imitating the color of midnight blue shining under the sun, the same beautiful color found in his eyes one he could not see in other individuals. Such a human being did not exist before, seeing them all plain and boring until he laid his eyes on the Solentines’ young master. Icarus was too busy staring to notice that the same eyes he was admiring from a safe distance were now locked on him.

“I can see you…”

To be caught in what he thought was the best hiding place made Icarus flustered, bending down in hopes of hiding when it was already too late. The human boy has seen him—yet it excited Icarus instead of feeling scared or nervous. He couldn’t believe he was about to talk to a human, let alone one of his parents was all right with it.

Maybe… This boy was born to be a special one than the rest of his kind.

“Are you going to hide there forever? Wouldn’t your back ache if you keep crouching down?”

Glancing up, he found those curious ocean eyes staring at him in interest. Something about being graced by someone akin to an angel felt wrong for Icarus. He stood up and frowned at the human.

“I’m not supposed to talk to humans like you.”

“Humans?” Cocking his head to the side, the curious human hummed and then pointed to himself. “Oh! You’re talking about me?”

“Who else is the human between us other than you?”

“Eh? But aren’t you human yourself?” Leaning close, he tried to see what was peculiar and what differentiated them both, but Icarus was a sputtering mess and stepped back immediately. “You look human and speak like one.”

“Wha—did you have to get so close?!”

Laughing, the boy held out his hand for Icarus to shake which was met with a look of distrust. “You’re funny. I’m Briar! And you are?” Realizing that Icarus was too speechless to respond, Briar pouted. “What? Are humans really that bad? If they are, why do you follow their shapes and sizes?”

Icarus sighed at the statement, standing up straight, and cleared his throat as he started explaining. “What makes me different from the rest of you is that I have wings. My family all have wings! And I don’t see pesky humans having those. What makes us Nephilim special is that we come from a prestigious lineage that used to serve the heavens. We may have stayed here on earth now, but we still have such godly blood in our veins.”

“Really? That’s awesome! You can actually fly?!” Bright-eyed, Briar was clutching the fence tightly as he gawked at Icarus, who was surprised to see such enthusiasm. “Hey, hey… let me see your wings, okay? Oh, oh! Maybe you can take me to see my parents soon!”

Hiding his flushed cheeks, Icarus averted his gaze away. “Are you an idiot? I’m still young! My wings are not here yet.”

It was the start of a very unlikely friendship for Icarus.

As time went by, he and Briar became friends and were always seen by the Lir family’s patriarch in his office window playing in the Solentines’ garden every afternoon. Briar was excitedly talking and asking him questions while Icarus sat there, anxious and shy. Today was important for he was finally permitted to go next door and have some tea rather than just play. However, he had a mission—one his father bestowed upon him that morning.

“Once you get to the Solentine household, ask the boy if he is the lady’s son. Don’t hesitate.”

“Um, by the way, I never got to ask…” Shifting in his seat, Icarus eyes Briar happily munching on his biscuit. “Is Lady Margareth your mother?”

Briar went still.

“Why… do you ask?”

“Huh? Well, it’s only you here in this household. I’ve never seen the lady’s husband. Is she even married?”

“No, my aunt is not married.” Setting his half-eaten biscuit down, Briar propped his chin on his hands. “My parents are dead. My mother died after giving birth to me and my father passed away last year. I have no family left except for my aunt so I am staying with her.”

Icarus blinked twice at the new information given to him. “Your parents… are gone?”

“Sadly, yes. Which was why I was surprised and excited when you said you have wings! Maybe then you could take me to wherever they are since you’re an angel!”

Silly human.

“I’m… not an angel, Briar.”

“But aren’t Nephilims descendants of angels?”

“Somewhat. But we’re not angels. Maybe if you paid attention to your history class where they specifically discussed all the races in the world, I wouldn’t have to tell you.”

“No way, it’s boring.” Chuckling to himself, Briar lifted his biscuit. “However, I do wish to be reunited with my family again…” Turning back to Icarus, the boy grinned. “Did that answer all your questions?”

“My… questions?”

“Everyone in town seems curious about me so I thought that by telling you, you might also tell them that what they knew about me and my family is all wrong.” Smiling softly, Briar pushed back a stray lock of hair away from his line of vision. “Not the kind of words you would expect from a six-year-old boy, huh?”

How?

“H-how did you know I wanted to ask such questions?” Holding his head with two hands, Icarus’ wide, alarmed eyes shot to the laughing boy. “Did you read my mind?! Is that even possible?”

“No. It was written all over your face, especially with how anxious you are you couldn’t sit still!”

Embarrassed, Icarus looked away with a huff. “Silly human. Do you think it's wise to make fun of me?”

Laughter dying down, the boy reached out to place a hand on Icarus’ shoulder. “I wasn’t making fun of you—um, a little bit, but I swear I mean no harm. Now that you know more about me, I pray that our friendship improves, Icarus. I would like to get to know you better too.”

Warm. His heart was warm and overflowing with an emotion he couldn’t pinpoint exactly. However, Briar’s words made the corner of Icarus’ lips curve up a bit. Not to mention, the way Briar stared at him with such mirth and glowing affection was enough to make his whole being swell with pride and joy.

“I shall promise to you then, my friend. That once I have my wings, you’ll be the first to see them. And maybe I could take you up and see the sky.”

“Promise?!” Ecstatic, Briar almost jumped and tried to contain his glee at what his friend just said.

“As soon as I learn how to fly? Yes.”

༻❈༺

Any plans of comradeship started to fall to the wayside when Icarus fell off the cliff in hopes of spreading his wings because of a young lover's promise. He was only ten when he fell from the cliff, rolling into the dust, and was found almost dead by a tree. One of his wings was torn from his back while the other was too broken to even lift itself.

The screams of horror and fear from his parents were still echoing in everyone's ear as they were heard from the Lir family’s home that day. And upon hearing the reason why Icarus did such a thing after he woke up lying on the bed for almost two weeks, the Lir family was livid. Screams and heated arguments would erupt at any time of the day.

“I told you it was a bad idea to become friends with the humans! But you never listened to me!”

“Don’t act as if you never approved of my plans, Katarina! You were the one who wanted to become close to Lady Margareth in the first place!”

“This is all your fault! Who would want to marry a one-winged Nephilim? The future of this family is now tarnished because your only son can’t fly now! No one would marry him—not in this state of his!”

“You wanted the boy to be close to the Solentines’ heir!”

“But I never asked you to practically include our son in your whimsical plans just because you were infatuated with that wretched woman and wanted her attention!”

“Who said I was infatuated with that human?!”

The fight between his parents would continue once it began and would end only when they have fallen asleep out of anger. His only solace was meeting Briar in secrecy, under the stars in the dead of the night.

“Are you all right?” Hand reaching out to touch the bandage wrapped on his head, Briar’s usually bright eyes were now filled with tears of regret and sorrow. Dismissing the boy’s question, Icarus shrugged off his hand.

“I’m fine, Briar. This is nothing but a scratch—”

“A scratch doesn’t equal a broken wing, a wound on the head, and a few broken bones, Icarus! You even… you even lost one wing! This is much more serious than that…” Lowering his voice, Briar sighed. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have told you I wanted to fly with you.”

“No, this is my fault, to begin with. I wanted to fly and so I did. It was my decision alone that has caused me this inconvenience and I shall live with the consequences…” he trailed off when Briar reached out and embraced him, tears rolling down his soft cheeks. “I’m fine, Briar—”

“At least let me take care of you. We’re friends, remember? And I don’t want to see someone I love be hurt. Please don’t put yourself in danger, Icarus.”

“I swear on my family’s name, I wouldn’t. I also swear to protect you for the rest of my life even with one wing. Briar, always know that I’ve liked you since the day we met. You have been kind… A good friend anyone could ask for.”

“Icarus…” Hugging him tighter, Briar nodded in eagerness. “I like you, too. You are a friend that I could never ever replace. Probably even more than a friend. Always remember that.”

Icarus hummed in agreement, but he knew he had to do something so his parents’ wrath would not befall on Briar and his aunt. He must do what it takes so that these ears that have listened to him genuinely wouldn’t hear ugly and foul words from his family. Briar does not deserve to be blamed and treated harshly.

Icarus had to let go of him.

And so their days of frequent meetings turned to weeks, to months, and reached the point they barely made eye contact with one another when they came across each other on the street as they grew older. Briar was not the type to give up on his love and this hurt Icarus more. Heart aching each time he turned down or ignored Briar’s confessions.

News of Briar accepting suitors spread across town and into the army campsite where Icarus spent his time training himself to become a soldier of the palace. The thought of his childhood love marrying someone else plagued him for the rest of his days, but Icarus figured it was better off this way.

He must keep his distance unless his family decides to attack Briar and his aunt for something they had nothing to do with.

Icarus Lir, now twenty years old, still could not get rid of his affections for the nineteen-year-old Briar. The young master of the Solentine household was still trying to connect with him, holding on to the time they spent together. Icarus knew Briar was in love with him, and he too felt the same for the beautiful man. Briar was as ethereal as the day they first met and Icarus wouldn’t be surprised if plenty of people wanted him as their significant other. In a world where men and women could marry anyone they want, Icarus felt cheated. Cheated on the fact he couldn’t marry the one he loves because of his family.

And today is the day he would have to accept that and go on with his life.

“He’s probably not even there, Brother.”

Icarus turned to his elder sister who was eyeing the window that faces the Solentine Manor. He was leaving for the palace to take up the job he has been training for, something his parents pushed for him to do to regain his confidence back. Icarus knew it wasn’t for his benefit, but for theirs.

“What do you mean he’s not there?”

“I know you want to bid the human boy goodbye, but I don’t think he’s even in that house. I woke up at midnight to drink a glass of water when I spotted them. They left their house at midnight for some odd reason. Shouldn’t humans be asleep by then? It’s odd. Very odd. They did not only do this once, but I have caught them four times now and it’s always on the first day of the month. I think they’re up to something.”

Icarus fought the urge to roll his eyes. “What are you even talking about? I’m sure they had something urgent to do. And you should mind your own business. Mother would be furious if you are too interested in them.”

“Why?” she snickered. “Because I might end up like you? I would rather kill him and feed him to those demons than ever dream of becoming close to him.”

Icarus narrowed his eyes at her.

“Stay away from Briar.”

“Whatever. He might have a face close to an angel, but he sure is wicked like the devil. I mean, he did cost you your wing—”

Stepped up in front of his giggling smug sister, Icarus clenched his fists. “Shut up or I’m going to—”

“What? What are you going to do, little brother?” Brushing past him, she yawned. “If you’re going to keep babbling about how that boy saved you and how he is so perfect, count me out.”

“He would never abandon me like our kind. He is better than any Nephilim I have ever met, even if he is human.”

“You’re disgusting.”

Leaving the house without bidding his parents and sisters farewell, Icarus walked up to Lady Margareth who was waiting just outside the Solentine Manor. Her ash blonde hair was kept in a neat bun; the gray dress she wore fluttered in the wind. She was nothing like Briar, having no resemblance to the boy he liked other than the color of her eyes and her sweet personality. Then again, her eyes weren't a deep hue like Briar’s.

Speaking of Briar… “Is he still asleep?” Icarus inquired, wondering where the man was. He did inform the lady a few days ago that he would be leaving today and wanted to tell Briar himself before departing.

“Icarus, I do apologize about Briar. He refuses to come down despite telling him that it may take months before you can come home again. I tried to convince him…” Worried, Lady Margareth turned to look at the windows of Briar’s room. Following her gaze, Icarus stared at the curtains billowing with the wind. No sign of Briar peeking out or waving at him whenever he caught sight of Icarus. Yesterday’s event came back in full blast in Icarus’ head, now sure why he wasn’t here with his aunt.

I went too far yesterday…

“I must go up there and pull him out of his room—”

“No, it’s all right, Lady Margareth. You don’t have to. Besides, I’m sure Briar is tired and is still asleep. I already told him yesterday that I would be leaving over tea.”

“Oh… right, yesterday. Are you sure? You might not see him again until winter,” she mumbled to herself then. “No… probably not in winter. Maybe never again…”

This made Icarus raise a brow in concern. “Lady Margareth?”

“Oh, silly me! You shouldn’t be listening to me murmuring. I’ll make sure to tell the boy once he wakes up. Do be careful in your travels and I wish you luck!”

Nodding at the woman, Icarus glanced one last time at Briar’s window, hoping to see him peeking but alas, he wasn’t.

See you soon, Briar…