The scent of dry hay hung thick in the air, echoing inside the small hut like the heavy beating of their hearts. There was no longer any distance between them. Clothes were cast aside, shoulders touched, and as their breaths overlapped, the world narrowed down to just the two of them.

  "...Yu." Every time her trembling voice called his name, his pulse jumped. "Rize..." A raspy reply. Every time their lips entangled, his vision blurred with heat. Rize rested her forehead against his, her eyes shimmering in the dim lantern light. "...I want to connect with you. Now. Not through a screen. Really connect." At those words, Yu's throat tightened. Before he could search for an answer, Rize continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But... I want you to decide just one thing." Without averting her eyes, she layered her words desperately.

  "There is magic... One spell to prevent life, and one to invite it... Which do you prefer?" His breath caught. In the space between their breaths, her warmth and the weight of the future surged toward him. It wasn't just a physical question. It was a question of survival, of future, of how much burden they could carry in a world trying to kill them. Yu reached out, cupping her cheek. "...I trust you. Whatever you desire, Rize... I’m with you." Her cheeks were flushed red, her voice trembling. Yet, her eyes did not look away. "Yu..." Just calling his name made his chest ache. She closed her eyes, whispered a short chant, and the decision was made.

  ?

  "...Okay. Come here." Voices exchanged softly. Soon, words lost their meaning. Fingers intertwined, and body temperatures melted into one. The sound of a blanket sliding off. Thump. The heartbeat echoed loudly between the two. "...I don't want to let go." A suppressed voice and a faint gasp. Every time they melted into the forest air, the world inside the hut became solely theirs. The lantern's light flickered, casting their silhouette against the wooden wall, merging into a single entity. The time deepened, wrapping them in silence.

  ?

  The hut had become quiet. Only the lingering scent of intimacy and their rough breathing remained.

  "...Hah... hah..." Rize pressed her fingertips against her disheveled bangs and rested her forehead on Yu's shoulder. Her heartbeat had not yet settled. Yu was the same. He wrapped his arm around her bare back, unable to speak for a while. As if confirming each other's existence—flesh, blood, and heat—they quietly shared their warmth. "...Yu." A small voice. Every time he was called, the depths of his chest carried heat. Rize kept her gaze averted, simply keeping her shoulder close to his. Yu said nothing more and quietly accepted that weight. Under the blanket, the two huddled close together, lit by the pale light of the lantern. In the silence, Yu murmured.

  "...I wonder what will happen from now on." It was a voice leaked unconsciously. But that question certainly pierced both their chests. Rize lowered her eyes for a moment. Only her lips moved faintly. "...To survive, I have to become stronger." Her voice was raspy, but it contained a hard determination. When Yu turned his face to her, Rize returned a serious gaze. Those eyes were sharp, like when she wielded a sword on the battlefield, yet they were wavering with a new vulnerability. "But..." Words tangled in her throat, a beat of silence. Rize shook her head slightly and continued, this time with a voice that trembled a little. "But I... want to choose a future where I am with you." At that single phrase, Yu's chest heated up. Her confession was not just an emotion. It was the shape of the "future" she had to choose to survive daily in a world of battle. Yu didn't hesitate.

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  "...I want to live with you, too." As if exhaling, but certainly layering his words. "With Rize... in any future, together." Rize's eyes moistened, and she leaked a breath that didn't become a voice. She reached out her trembling hand and gently traced Yu's cheek. "...You really said it." An expression like crying and laughing at the same time. Yu layered his hand on hers and squeezed it tightly. Every time the lantern flame flickered, shadows overlapped and melted into one. The secret hut had turned into a place to pledge their future.

  However, a faint, thorn-like anxiety was also sprouting in Rize's chest.

  "...Yu." "Hm?" "From now on, no matter what happens, stay by my side." "Of course." The short reply was unwavering. Their mutual futures overlapped with a quiet vow. Snap. Suddenly, a sharp sound tore through the quiet air. A branch had snapped. Yu and Rize raised their faces reflexively and looked at each other. Tension ran through them instantly. Rize’s hand shot out from under the blanket, gripping the hilt of her sword leaning against the wall. Her eyes were no longer those of a lover, but of a warrior. Beyond the thin single wall of the hut, a forest where no one should be spread out. Yu killed his breath and strained his ears. But all he could hear was the rustling of trees and the sound of a small bird flapping its wings somewhere far away. It was probably just the wind shaking the treetops and scattering leaves.

  "...Wind, maybe." Yu murmured. But Rize's expression remained stiff. "...No. I don't know, but something..." Rize's eyes stared into the depths of the forest through the wooden planks, as if piercing through the darkness. She, who would usually say "It's okay" immediately, was now silent. Yu involuntarily placed his hand on her naked shoulder.

  "It's fine, Rize. Probably just a noise." Rize's hand squeezed Yu's fingers tightly. That strength was as if telling herself "I won't let go," strong enough to make his bones creak. "...I won't let anyone steal this secret." A low, certain voice. But Yu sensed a faint tremor mixed deep within it. She herself knew that this happiness was fragile. Yu squeezed her hand back. "Let's protect it. ...Together." Rize nodded faintly. She pursed her lips and layered her gaze on Yu. That look wavered, holding both strength and anxiety.

  ?

  Eventually, the two dressed, put away the blankets, and left the hut. On the path back out of the forest, the cold morning air stung their cheeks. Only the sound of footsteps walking between the trees echoed, and their breaths melted white into the air. The hut behind them stood quietly as if sinking into the depths of the forest. The secret harbored there should have certainly strengthened their bond. —However. Further deep in the forest, in the depths of shadows where the morning sun didn't reach. From between the swaying trees, there was a "Gaze" staring at their backs. Human? Beast? Or perhaps something else? Even the outline was not certain. But undeniably, a field of vision was there, tracking them. Neither Rize nor Yu noticed its existence.

  "...Let's hurry." Rize murmured small and quickened her pace. Their footsteps faded into the distance. In the depths of the forest left behind, that gaze still did not disappear, quietly continuing to chase them.