Having finished his usual morning routine, Elion asked his sister to leave her usual spot, as she still called it — an observation point, consisting of the edge of his bed, right at the headboard, and a headrest made of her palms. She was reluctant to comply, but his arguments were so compelling—the morning routine, for example, and the fact that their mother's breakfast was probably almost ready—that she finally left her favorite spot and the room.
Once he was sure that Anabel had left, he leaned his head back on the pillow and began another routine: analyzing where he had made a mistake and how he could have avoided getting caught. This habit formed as a result of his sister's constant attacks. Before, he was a simple, sweet boy who could calmly bask in his beloved sister's love and care. Now, he was a man who could not surrender to a woman and lose his pride. Elion, who liked to repeat, "I'm not a little boy anymore," decided to fight against an unnatural order of things, and now Anabel was not only his beloved sister but also his enemy and rival.
In this improvised table of enemies and rivals, Anabel took first place, the highest rank of danger, and the status of sole contender. After all, how many enemies can a nine-year-old boy have?
All these actions were aimed solely at hiding the confusion he had acquired with age. He was aware of this, but he wasn't going to admit it to anyone because he had already decided: I am a man, and I will not calmly surrender to the enemy. Although the enemy was strong and clearly had the upper hand, Elion did not give up trying to resist. With each attempt, he was one step closer to giving the enemy a worthy rebuff.
Elion learned from his mistakes and overcame the pain of humiliation and wounded pride. He grew stronger, and one day, as he often dreamed, he would put an end to the war against his greatest enemy and win.
"In the end, it won't matter who won or lost countless battles because history remembers the results of wars, not the clashes that took place in them. As long as I am alive and can stand, the war is not over. And God is my witness, I will not lose!" Elion said majestically.
Although Elion could have ended the war overnight and forced the enemy to surrender without a fight, he had no intention of doing so. The tool needed for such a victory is not a sword and shield or a mystical artifact but cursed words that would destroy the enemy and the one who utters them. Elion could not risk dying while performing his heroic duty because he wanted to be more than just a gravestone in the world he wanted to save. These cursed words sound like this:
"I love you, sister!"
...
After indulging in his dreams and heroic fantasies and restoring his lost pride, Elion got out of bed, hoping to brush his teeth before his mother called him for breakfast.
As he opened the door and took a couple of steps out of the room toward the bathroom, a chill ran down his spine, and he froze in his tracks. Information from a book he had read with his sister popped into his head involuntarily: Fearsome predators can lie in wait for anywhere from several hours to several days, and at such moments, they can be most dangerous.
Elion realized his mistake too late. He turned around, but it was a split second too late. Predators do not forgive such mistakes.
Something hiding in his blind spot by the door jumped out at him with a squeak, leaving him with no chance to escape.
Facing his inevitable demise at that moment, a thought flashed through Elion's mind: I still have a long way to go before I can claim victory...
"Gotcha!" Exclaimed the cunning beast, which was actually Anabel.
Her graceful leap, performed perfectly according to feline standards, achieved its goal. The bird found itself in a cage—that is, in the arms of its sister.
Realizing his bitter fate, Elion accepted his destiny with indifference. However, life is not black and white. After thinking it over, the boy found the positives in his situation and decided to relax and go with the flow.
Accepting his grim fate, he surrendered to his sister's embrace.
Enjoying the warmth enveloping him from all sides, he melted like chocolate.
After standing there for a couple seconds, realizing her prey wasn't going anywhere, the tigress hugged him tighter, rested her chin on his head, and began rubbing his hair.
"Ah, your hair is so soft... I could snuggle up to it for hours." Whispered Anabel.
Hearing this, he couldn't help but think:
Ah... How beautiful the world is without war...
In less than five minutes, all of his grand speeches and dreams of great deeds disappeared without a trace.
Of course, no one condemned him. If anyone knew the whole situation from beginning to end, they wouldn't dare criticize him. He did everything he could, but the enemy was way too strong.
Thus ended the story of Elion Efistion, a man with the ambition and potential to be a hero. He was a hero who never got to see the beginning because he stumbled at the start. A hero crushed by inevitable fate.
Or maybe he still has a chance...
"You two! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up!" Came the ringing voice of the boy's greatest savior.
Holding on to that lifeline, the remnants of the inglorious hero's pride stirred and said:
"Mom... Save me..." The voice, which might have seemed loud and clear from the inside, in reality resembled the final, faint squeak of a rabbit nearing its end. It was soft and sad.
"Don't worry. No one will hear you. No one will save you," The tigress said in a charming tone.
"I... I shouldn't have fallen so easily..."
"Don't worry. You tried your best. You were just unlucky," Anabel whispered warmly.
"R-really?"
"Yes... You were dazzling."
"Oh..."
"And now sleep forever..."
However, this hero failed.