I wanted
to hold it forever. It danced in my hand for the moment, but kept flickering. Each passing breeze would take it temporarily away, floating quickly among the air currents like a flying insect.
I would chase after it. I felt like
in those moments, if I could keep it, I would be able to freeze time and become immortal. But it had
a life of its own and I struggled to subdue its will.
Maybe that's what fascinated me about it, how it rarely stayed in one place for long, except maybe when I was able to grab it. Maybe
I was just flattering myself that I was able to hold on. Maybe it was just giving me the illusion I was able to control it at all, but I continued to try nevertheless, to chase after it with shadow magic and immaterial hands, projected
into the space where I believed it lived.
I wasn't sure if it was taunting me, or if
it was sincere, but the colors
shimmering among its flames kept me fascinated, kept me hooked, even though I knew
I had more important things to do. I worried it would mark my downfall, yet chasing it was
hard to resist.
Every time it landed on my palm, it would reignite me, and I would chase after it once more as soon as the breeze came along and took it away.
I cursed the air currents sometimes, for what they put between me and my quarry, but I wasn't really sure if it was the air currents themselves, or if it was just toying with me.
I hoped to God that I wasn't just its toy.
I wanted it to be mine.