Night settled gently over the buried kingdom. It wasn’t the oppressive darkness Akitsu Shouga was accustomed to—the kind that pressed against his chest and whispered of endings. This night was different. Calm. Almost kind. Moonlight spilled through the shattered roofs and broken walls of the ruined house they had chosen, bathing the space in soft silver.

  The house stood near the edge of a collapsed street. Its stone walls were cracked, pillars fractured, and the roof had long since fallen away. Ivy and moss had claimed what remained, weaving through the cracks like slow rivers of green, while the moonlight illuminated every jagged edge and crooked stone.

  Above them, the sky stretched wide and unbroken. Stars glimmered between drifting clouds, framed by jagged ruins as if the heavens themselves had been painted into the remains of a world forgotten.

  Kael Ardent set his bag down on the cracked floor and glanced around. “…This place is falling apart,” he muttered, half amused, half uneasy.

  Akitsu’s gaze followed the moonlight streaming across the open space. “But it won’t collapse tonight,” he said calmly.

  Kael snorted softly, letting himself sink against a half-broken wall. “You say that like you checked.”

  “I did,” Akitsu replied flatly.

  Kael laughed quietly and shook his head. “Alright. I trust you.”

  A small fire crackled in the remains of the fireplace. Its warmth flickered across the stone floor, casting shadows that danced over jagged edges and ivy-covered walls. Akitsu crouched beside it, sleeves rolled up, arranging a battered pot over the flames. Seraphine Orion lingered nearby, her hands moving gracefully to weave a gentle wind barrier around the fire, preventing sparks from flying too far.

  Ayaka sat cross-legged at Akitsu’s feet, hugging her knees, her small face illuminated by firelight. Her blue-white hair shimmered faintly, and her sleepy eyes reflected the glow of the flames.

  “…You’re cooking?” Kael asked after a moment, his voice a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

  “Yes,” Akitsu replied calmly, stirring the pot.

  Kael blinked. “…You can cook?”

  Akitsu paused, ladle hovering over the pot. “…I think so.”

  “You think so?” Kael echoed, raising an eyebrow.

  “I don’t remember learning,” Akitsu said evenly. “But my hands know what to do.”

  Kael leaned forward, watching intently. “That’s… unsettling.”

  Akitsu shrugged lightly, stirring the stew.

  Inside simmered a simple but hearty concoction: dried river meat Akitsu had hunted earlier, crushed grain soaked into rough flour, a pinch of mineral salt, and herbs Seraphine had carefully identified as safe for humans. The scent was grounding, a reminder that even in ruins, life could nourish.

  For Kael, Akitsu added slices of vivid elf-grown root vegetables and pale berries Eldran had provided—foods he deliberately kept from his own meal.

  Kael studied the pot with narrowed eyes. “…Why are you making two different versions?”

  Akitsu didn’t glance at him. “Because yours would kill me.”

  “…What?” Kael leaned back slightly.

  “The vegetables. The fruit. They’re elf-grown,” Akitsu said evenly.

  Kael frowned. “And?”

  “They’re poisonous to humans,” Akitsu replied, voice calm, matter-of-fact.

  Kael stared at the pot. “…I ate those all week.”

  “Yes,” Akitsu said, stirring slowly.

  “…Why didn’t you say anything?!” Kael exclaimed, eyes wide.

  Akitsu finally met his gaze. “You were enjoying them.”

  Kael exhaled, deflating. “…Fair enough.”

  Akitsu finished cooking and ladled the stew into two mismatched bowls—one chipped ceramic, the other smooth stone. He handed Kael’s portion over first.

  Kael inhaled the aroma, a slow smile spreading. “…Smells good.”

  Akitsu sat opposite him. Ayaka immediately crawled into his lap, curling against his chest. He adjusted himself slightly to support her, unfazed by the small weight.

  Kael raised an eyebrow, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “She really likes you.”

  Akitsu glanced down at her pale hair. “…She’s tired.”

  Kael hummed and took his first bite. His eyes widened in surprise. “…This is actually really good.”

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  Akitsu tasted his own portion. “It’s edible,” he said simply.

  “That’s not the same thing,” Kael muttered, still chewing.

  They ate in silence for a while, punctuated only by the occasional pop of the fire and the soft rustle of leaves drifting through the open walls. Night insects chirped in the ruins beyond, and the wind whispered faintly through the broken structure.

  Eventually, Kael broke the quiet. “…So,” he said carefully, “what are you going to do now?”

  Akitsu paused, ladle midair. “…About what?”

  “The future,” Kael clarified. “…After all this. After we stop running.”

  Akitsu’s gaze lingered on the fire. “…I don’t know,” he admitted finally.

  Kael blinked. “You don’t?”

  Akitsu shook his head. “I don’t plan that far.”

  Kael leaned back against the wall, his tone softer. “…I think I will.”

  Akitsu looked at him.

  “I’m done,” Kael continued quietly. “With titles. With kingdoms. With being used.”

  “…What about your fiancée?” Akitsu asked, voice low.

  Kael’s jaw tightened. “…She’ll move on,” he said slowly. “With or without me. Either way… I can’t go back.”

  Akitsu nodded, understanding flickering in his eyes. “I see.”

  Kael took another bite of his stew, savoring it, before asking, “…What about you?”

  “I’ll get stronger,” Akitsu said without hesitation. “And I’ll find Kaoru one day.”

  Kael’s gaze sharpened. “How?”

  Akitsu shrugged lightly. “…I don’t know.”

  “…That’s it?” Kael asked incredulously.

  “I’ll go with the flow,” Akitsu said evenly.

  Kael laughed aloud, nearly spilling his stew. “That’s your grand plan?!”

  Akitsu tilted his head. “Is that strange?”

  “It’s reckless,” Kael muttered, still chuckling.

  “Then it suits me,” Akitsu replied.

  Kael wiped at the corners of his eyes, still smiling. “…You’re unbelievable.”

  After the laughter faded, Kael leaned closer, curiosity glinting in his eyes. “So… how did you meet Kaoru?”

  Akitsu paused, recalling. “…In a horse barn.”

  Kael blinked. “…A what?”

  “I woke up on a haystack,” Akitsu continued flatly. “She was sleeping next to me.”

  Kael stared. “…That’s it?”

  “She had hay in her hair,” Akitsu added, expression neutral.

  Kael laughed so hard he nearly toppled his bowl. “You’re kidding!”

  “I’m not,” Akitsu said calmly. “…It worked.”

  Kael shook his head, still grinning. “That’s the most ridiculous first meeting I’ve ever heard.”

  Akitsu shrugged. “It worked.”

  Kael laughed again, quieter this time. “Alright. My turn.”

  Akitsu leaned back, listening.

  “I was taken,” Kael said softly. “By human traffickers. I was young. I didn’t remember my parents. Just cages. Chains.”

  Akitsu’s eyes darkened slightly, but he said nothing.

  “They died during a battle,” Kael continued. “Seraphine found me in the middle of a war zone. Carried me out while everything burned.”

  Seraphine Orion’s lips curved into a faint smile. “You bit me the first time.”

  Kael scoffed. “You deserved it.”

  She laughed softly, a melodic, fleeting sound that echoed lightly across the ruins.

  Kael looked at his sword, Rosary, resting beside him. “I found it in an abandoned house. It was raining. I was freezing. That sword… it felt like it chose me.”

  Akitsu nodded slowly, understanding the weight in his words.

  “It’s my life,” Kael said quietly. “That’s why I trained. Why I became the hero I was meant to be.”

  Ayaka shifted in Akitsu’s lap, murmuring softly. “…Ayaka…”

  Akitsu adjusted the blanket around her, letting her rest.

  Kael watched them quietly. “…You’re strange, Akitsu,” he finally said.

  “I get that a lot,” Akitsu replied softly, eyes still on the fire.

  The flames flickered, casting shadows over the broken walls. Night deepened around them. Their voices softened, blending with the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant hum of a hidden world reclaiming itself.

  Eventually, silence returned.

  Beneath the fractured roof, under a sky full of stars, two fugitives and two spirits drifted into sleep—unaware of the challenges waiting for them when morning came.